Styphnolobium japonicum tree  (V. Lohr)

Styphnolobium japonicum (Sophora japonica)
Japanese pagoda tree or Scholar tree


  • Water use: Moderate or low.
  • Light: Full sun or light shade.
  • Size: 60 to 75 feet tall, and 75 to 100 feet wide.
  • Native Range: Korea and Japan.
  • Plant habit and use: Spreading or rounded, deciduous shade tree with summer flowers.
  • Leaves: Compound leaves with small leaflets.  Medium to dark green, with yellowish fall color.
  • Stems:  Green.
  • Flowers: Tree is covered with creamy white flowers in late summer.  Flowers are shaped like flowers of pea plants and have a faint fragrance.
  • Culture: This tree is tolerant of a wide range of conditions.
  • Maintenance: Branches may break in ice storms, unless properly pruned for strong branch attachments.
  • Other: Young trees don't bloom.  Branches on young trees may be damaged during cold winters, but older trees don't show this problem.
  • Cultivar: 'Regent' is a popular cultivar that was selected to flower at a young age.

More pictures of Styphnolobium (V.Lohr)

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Page creators:
Virginia I. Lohr and Caroline H. Pearson-Mims
Dept. of Hort & LA, Washington St. Univ.
E-mail: pearson@wsu.edu
Page updated June 18, 2008