Laburnum - beautify but messy

[fabindia]

We have a beautiful large laburnum tree at the back of our house, which is truly beautiful when in full blossom. Bumble bees love it and it literally buzzes with the massive number of bees that visit it. Not sure about my honey bees and whether they visit it, I suspect that they are not as bothered as the bumble bees but a bit difficult to tell. Also, laburnum is poisonous but probably not as much as people would have you believe.

But - they are messy, at the moment it is shedding its flowers, which with all this rain makes a them all stick together in wet mess. Then in a few weeks, it sheds the pea-like pods, thousands of them, and finally it sheds it leaves in the autumn. It seems we never stop sweeping the backyard.

[Grannyof4]

I know what you mean. When I moved last December, I had to leave behind a huge Laburnum. I have one ready to plant in my new garden.

[Spreckly]

In the "garden" next door is a laburnum. I say garden, it is just a rubbish tip and jungle. We cut it back as much as we dare because of the pods, which blow into our garden and for fear that our dog will eat one.

In my old village several young children ate a neighbour's laburnum pods and ended up in hospital with severe stomach pains. Thankfully all got over the incident, but the neighbour was so upset that he cut the tree down.

But I agree, they are a beautiful tree.