After golden chain tree flowers, snip off the green seedpods. Wait until late summer through winter to cut live wood, so the tree does not bleed sap.
After bloom, snip the green pods; wait until late summer to cut live wood
| Factor | Recommended | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Pods | Snip spent racemes while the pods are still green, right after bloom | Do not leave ripe pods to drop where children or pets can eat them |
| Live wood | Cut dead, crossing, or badly placed branches from late summer through winter | Do not cut live wood in spring or early summer, when the tree bleeds sap |
| Suckers | Rub or clip shoots that rise below the graft as soon as you see them | Do not let rootstock shoots take over the crown |
| Gloves | Wear gloves and wash your hands after you handle pods, wood, or sap | Do not prune with bare hands and then touch your mouth |
Golden chain tree does not need a hard yearly haircut when it stands free. The job that matters is the pods. Right after the yellow chains fade, cut the spent racemes while the pods are still green, because ripe seeds are poisonous and they also drain the tree. Wear gloves, and clip any shoot that rises below the graft union so the rootstock does not take the crown. [1] Save cuts into live wood for late summer through winter. A spring or early-summer cut on live stems makes the tree bleed sap. [2] If you train the tree over an arch, cut unwanted laterals back to three or four buds once the frame is set. [3] A free-standing lawn tree needs little else. Take out dead, diseased, or crossing wood at a healthy junction. Do not top it, and do not cut into old wood that has no buds, because laburnum does not sprout well from a hard reduction. [4]
- Right after bloom, snip spent racemes while the pods are still green. Wear gloves.
- Wait until late summer, or later in fall and winter, to cut live wood.
- Remove dead, crossing, or broken branches at a junction. Clip suckers below the graft as they appear.
- Do not cut live wood in spring, and do not reduce the crown into old, bare wood.
When do I prune a golden chain tree?
Snip green pods right after bloom. Wait until late summer through winter to cut live wood, so the tree does not bleed sap.
Do I have to remove the seedpods?
Yes if children or pets use the ground under the tree. The seeds are poisonous, and green pods are easier to snip than ripe ones that have already dropped.
Train it over an arch — tie new shoots and cut laterals to three or four buds
Golden chain tree is the classic tree for a flowering walk, because the racemes hang down through the frame. Set a sturdy metal arch about 8 feet tall and at least 6 feet wide before you plant. Tie supple new shoots to the frame through the growing season. Until the framework fills, shorten the main shoots by about a third in late summer, and cut unwanted laterals back to three or four buds. Once the walk is clothed, shorten the side growth every year after bloom so the chains hang cleanly. Purple alliums under the arch take over as the yellow chains fade. A free-standing lawn tree does not need this training.
How do I train golden chain tree over an arch?
Set the frame first. Tie new shoots through the growing season, shorten the leaders by about a third until the frame fills, and cut extra laterals to three or four buds.
If pods are dropping under a play area, snip them green this year. If the tree bled sap, wait until late summer before you cut live wood again.
FAQ
Can I prune it in spring if that is when I notice a broken limb?
Cut a broken limb any time. Save shaping cuts on live wood for late summer through winter.
How do I site and water the tree I just pruned?
Sun, drain, and first-season water are on How to Grow Golden Chain Tree.
Related guides
Recommended plants
References
- [1] NC State Extension Gardener -
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/laburnum-anagyroides/ - [2] BBC Gardeners' World Magazine -
https://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/grow-plants/how-to-grow-laburnum/ - [3] Royal Horticultural Society -
https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/types/trees/pleached-arbours - [4] University of Arkansas Extension -
https://www.uaex.uada.edu/yard-garden/resource-library/plant-week/Laburnum-x-watereri-Vossii-Golden-Chain-Tree-03-24-2017.aspx
This note is part of Laburnum Guides.
More pruning timing notes by plant live in Pruning Guides.
Updated: Reviewed by Bosquelle Editors