Start golden chain tree from an 8 to 10 inch hardwood cutting in late fall or winter, and wear gloves. Named ‘Vossii’ will not come true from seed.
Take hardwood cuttings in late fall, and wear gloves
| Factor | Recommended | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| When | Late fall or winter, while the tree is dormant | Do not take a leafy summer tip and leave it to wilt |
| Cutting | An 8 to 10 inch ripe shoot with several nodes, cut just below a bud | Do not use a flowered, skinny, or diseased twig |
| Mix | A 4-inch pot of damp mix that drains, with the lower third of the stem buried | Do not sit the cutting in a soggy pot |
| Gloves | Wear gloves, and wash tools and hands when you finish | Do not handle sap or crushed pods with bare hands |
Golden chain tree roots from hardwood cuttings taken in late fall or winter, once this year's growth has ripened and the leaves have dropped. [1] A named ‘Vossii’ tree will not come true from seed. Nurseries graft that clone in spring. If you want the long chains, take a cutting from that tree, or buy a grafted plant. [2] Choose a strong, pencil-thick shoot. Cut an 8 to 10 inch length just below a bud, with several nodes on the piece. Pull any remaining leaves from the lower third. Dip the base in rooting hormone, and push it into a 4-inch pot of damp mix that drains. Keep the mix moist, not soggy, in a cold frame or another bright, frost-sheltered spot. New shoots in spring mean the cutting has rooted. Leave it in the pot through the next year so you have a strong sapling before you plant it out. Wear gloves the whole time. Every part of the tree is poisonous, and a cutting session is sap, bark, and sometimes crushed seedpods. [3] Seed of the species can be sown after you nick or soak the hard coat, but the seedlings will not match this clone, and they often set more poisonous pods. [4]
- In late fall or winter, cut an 8 to 10 inch ripe shoot just below a bud. Wear gloves.
- Strip the lower third, dip the base in rooting hormone, and stick it in a 4-inch pot of damp mix that drains.
- Keep the mix moist in a cold frame or another bright, sheltered spot through winter.
- When new shoots appear in spring, grow the sapling in the pot for another year before you plant it.
When do I take a golden chain tree cutting?
Take hardwood cuttings in late fall or winter, while the tree is dormant. Wear gloves.
Will seed grow into Vossii?
No. Named Vossii will not come true from seed. Take a hardwood cutting, or buy a grafted tree, if you want those long flower chains.
If a cutting stays bare in spring, the wood was too thin or the mix stayed wet. Take a ripe 8 to 10 inch shoot next winter, and keep the pot damp, not soggy.
FAQ
Can I graft golden chain tree at home?
Nurseries graft Vossii in spring. A home gardener who wants the long chains is better off with a hardwood cutting or a grafted nursery tree.
Where do I plant the rooted cutting?
Plant it in fall or early spring, with the stem at the old soil line. That plant-out is on Planting Golden Chain Tree.
Related guides
Recommended plants
References
- [1] BBC Gardeners' World Magazine -
https://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/grow-plants/how-to-grow-laburnum/ - [2] Harvest to Table -
https://harvesttotable.com/how-to-grow-laburnum-golden-chain-tree/ - [3] NC State Extension Gardener -
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/laburnum-anagyroides/ - [4] Oregon State University -
https://landscapeplants.oregonstate.edu/plants/laburnum-watereri
This note is part of Laburnum Guides.
More notes on making another plant live in Propagating Guides.
Updated: Reviewed by Bosquelle Editors