Are you visiting the Hortus the coming week? Then take a look at the flowering golden chain (Laburnum anagyroides) at the entrance. This is the oldest tree in the Hortus and is now blooming with golden yellow racemes.

The Laburnum is said to have been planted in 1601 and is thus the oldest tree in the Hortus, but it probably dates from the first half of the 18th century. In the wild this species occurs in Central and Southern Europe. The young twigs of this tree have grey hairs at the top and the leaves are trifoliate. The top of the three leaves is dull dark green, the underside is blue-green. The Goldenrain is a deciduous tree. They never become very tall trees and often they grow - like our old specimen - bushy. The fruits of the golden chain look a bit like flat green beans, the seeds are very poisonous. The tree shows its high age. In 1972 the Goldenrain was saved from extinction at the very last moment by extensive tree restoration work. The tree grows sparsely, but still flowers abundantly every spring with hanging bunches of bright yellow flowers.