Trees - Golden Rain Tree
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  (October) I put in a Golden Rain tree 2 months ago, and the leaves slowly yellowed and now I am left with two green leaves at the very top. It was placed on a slope at the northern section of our town house. Thinking it needed more water, I added a sprinkler. Now, I wonder what caused the leaves to do that, and will it survive and grow for us?

  Planting a tree in the middle of summer can be a bit of a shocker for a plant, and then to be followed up with the driest month thus far this season was an additional shock. As long as you watered regularly since planting, I think the tree simply shut down early and should regrow fine next spring. It is not unusual for a new plant to have a transition period following growth, and when the weather was as uncooperative as it was, many older, established trees started shutting down early, so it is no surprise that a new one would even more quickly. For now, water if it gets dry again, keep it mulched, and wait for spring. Hopefully, it will leaf out fine.

  A good many years ago, we purchased a golden rain tree. It grew beautifully, blooming yearly and setting the seed pods. It finally died of old age or something a few years ago. I had saved a lot of seeds over the years, and I planted a dozen at different locations and at different depths. Only one ever came up, and for the first time has bloomed this year and is setting seeds. Can you tell me something about this tree and germinating seeds? Also, how does this tree differ from a golden chain tree?

  Golden rain tree, Koelreuteria paniculata, is a small to medium size ornamental tree. The papery pods will ripen in September and October. Within each pod are three roundish black seeds. The seeds can be tricky to break dormancy. Test results indicate that soaking the seeds in hot water, then stratifying the seed in moist soil at 40 degrees for three months, before sowing gives better results. (Stratifying, simply means placing seeds and peat moss or potting soil in a plastic bag, then refrigerating). Plant the seeds outside in the spring, at a depth of one half inch after their cool, moist storage period. Goldenchain tree, Laburnum anagyroides is a small ornamental tree with drooping clusters of yellow flowers in the spring. They are similar in appearance, with the chaintree blooming earlier, and being a bit more finicky about growing conditions.

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