Japanese Pagoda Tree

Japanese Pagoda Tree (Styphnolobium japonicum, still widely sold as Sophora japonica) is a broad deciduous shade tree for gardens with room to spare. It grows to around 10m tall and 8m wide, with a rounded canopy of fine divided leaves, and in late summer it carries long sprays of cream and white pea flowers when almost every other tree has finished. Frost hardy, drought tolerant and content in poor soil, it is a forgiving choice for a large tree.

Why you'll love it

• Late summer flowers. Long sprays of cream pea flowers open when the garden has gone quiet, worked heavily by bees and butterflies when forage is thin.
• Real shade. At about 10m by 8m the canopy covers a lawn or a driveway turnaround properly.
• Tough where it counts. Frost hardy, drought tolerant, heat tolerant and comfortable in poor or compacted ground.
• Summer shade, winter sun. Being deciduous, it shades the house through summer and lets light back in once the leaves are down.

Where it works best

Shade tree. Give it at least 8m of clear width and 4m from the house, and it will shade a lawn or a paved sitting area within several seasons.

Driveways and avenues. Space trees 8m to 10m apart so the canopies meet overhead without crowding.

Feature planting. On a large block it makes a handsome single specimen, with an open branch structure worth looking at through winter.

Growing Japanese Pagoda Tree in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun and open ground. It suits cool temperate, warm temperate, Mediterranean and arid gardens, and handles cold winters without protection. It is not a tree for humid tropical gardens.

Soil. Almost anything that drains. It tolerates poor and compacted soil better than most shade trees, which is why it is used as a street tree overseas. Keep 75mm of mulch over the root zone, clear of the trunk.

Water and feed. Deep soak twice a week through the first two summers to get the roots down, after which it is genuinely drought tolerant. A complete slow release fertiliser in early spring for the first few years is enough.

Pruning. Prune in winter while it is bare, and keep the work structural: remove crossing limbs, lift the lower branches for clearance, and let the canopy find its own shape. Young trees can be wayward, so early formative pruning pays off.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in a single size, a 45L pot, which is an advanced young tree with a formed trunk and the beginnings of a canopy. That gives real height on day one and settles faster than a small pot would in an exposed position. Stock is currently on backorder, so allow extra time.

Deciduous trees delivered in the cooler months arrive bare, with no leaves at all, which is normal and not a fault. Trees are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost. Stake it for the first two years in a windy position, expect the first strong growth flush the following spring, and every tree is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Choosing a canopy tree for shade
• Browse the deciduous tree range
• Trees for driveways and avenues
• Feature trees for a large garden

Common questions

Are any parts of the tree toxic?

Yes. The seeds and the pods are toxic if eaten, so think it through before planting where small children play unsupervised. The tree is otherwise safe to sit under and to handle.

How much room does it need?

Plan for 8m of width at maturity, and keep the trunk at least 4m from the house and from paving. This is a big tree and it does not stay small.

How fast does it grow, and does it make a mess?

Growth is moderate, around 40 to 60cm a year once established, and slower on dry inland sites. It drops flowers in late summer, leaves in autumn, then seed pods, which is easy over a lawn but means regular sweeping over a pool or paving.