Only a minute or two away from where I live there's also this big old Golden Rain tree (Laburnum). Also called Golden Chain in English, Wikipedia tells me - but I prefer calling them Golden Rain, as that corresponds to the Swedish name for them that I've known all my life. My paternal grandparents had a whole hedge full of them in their garden in my childhood (and throughout the rest of my life until we sold that house after the death of my parents, only ten years ago). As its seed pods (and indeed all parts of the plant) are poisonous, that must have caused a bit of concern back in my childhood (and my brother's) - but I can't remember ever having feel tempted to eat or play with them. I also seem to have known "all my life" that they are poisonous (without any actual drama attached); so no doubt I was taught that very early on. Seeing golden rain in bloom now just brings a certain whiff of nostalgia for me, making me remember that garden from back in the days when it looked its best.
I just searched my own blog and found two earlier posts about Golden Rain (one of them saying pretty much the same things that I just wrote)... I note, though, that those posts are dated 28th vs 18th June (2015/2021). While the golden rain photos this year are from 24th May. Summer really has sprung early this year!
Just now (~11 am) it's around 24'C outside, and thundershowers predicted for the afternoon. I'd probably better get out for a walk now rather than wait until later...
Yes very poisonous and very beautiful Dawn. So are Beech trees.
ReplyDeleteI did not know that about beech, northsider, but then there aren't very many of those "in my neck of the woods".
Delete24 c was our wake up temp today going to 31 for a high which is better than the last 3 days. our summer came early to. we usually turn ac on in late june, it has been on all of april and a few days in may
ReplyDeletethis is gorgeous. we have a golden rain in our frontyard, it is the skyway tree from last week. the flowers look much like yours but not in a chain.. they must be sisters
Sandra, the leaves on your tree seem different to me as well, I think they are two different species but sharing the same "popular" name...
DeleteWhen I think how cold it can be in Sweden, spring has certainly blessed you with some spectacular flowering plants and trees. It's sad that such beautiful trees and shrubs can be so poisonous.
ReplyDeleteCarol, there are indeed sharp contrasts between winter and summer in this country. Summer does seem to start earlier now than it used to, I guess there must be some truth to all the talk of global warming. A few summer-like days in May were not unusual back in my youth either - but I can't recall a whole month of May as warm as it has been this year. In many ways it's like we skipped straight from April to June.
DeleteWhat an amazing and beautiful tree! I hope we see one around here!
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure whether you have them over there or not, Ginny (from Wiki I get the impression the Laburnum is native to Europe).
DeleteIt's Goldregen in German, too, and for a change, our plants and yours are at the same stage - in bloom about 4 weeks earlier than usual. I love to see Goldregen (it is yellow, of course!), but unlike you, as a small child I did try the seed pods. It must have tasted unpleasantly enough for me to just leave it at that and not consume enough to make me ill, but of course there were severe warnings from my parents of what could have happened.
ReplyDeleteMeike, when we had a peek at the place a couple of years or so after we sold it (from across the railway tracks nearby), we saw that the new owners had removed all the tall old hedges surrounding the garden, including the golden rain part. They had not been trimmed for ages by then so it may not have been just because of the danger to small children, though...
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