Common Laburnum/Golden Rain - Laburnum anagyroides

Habitat

·        4 metres tall

·        stem shaft

·        deciduous tan

·        Native to Central and Southern Europe.

Habit and Form

·        popular ornamental plant

·        Grows and flowers in damp and mild habitats

·        Especially in calcareous soil (Southern Europe)

·        All parts of the plant contain cytisine and are poisonous if consumed.

Summer Foliage

·        Blooming time: May, June

·        Bush or little tree

·        Narrow, irregular crown

Flowers

·        The flowers are golden yellow

·        Sweet scented, are grouped in pendulous racemes up to 25 cm long

·        Typically bloom in May.

Fruit

·        The seeds are legumes with large numbers of black seeds that contain cytisine,

·        An alkaloid extremely poisonous to humans but also goats and horses, especially when not ripe.

Bark

·        Initially greenish, then grey.

·        Poisonous!

Landscape Uses

·        The wood is hard and heavy, of a yellow/brown colour, ideal for making posts, for woodturning and as fuel.

·        In the past (and today on historic re-enactments) it was used for making bows.

·        The tree is also known as false ebony since the wood from very old individuals could be used in place of ebony.

Curative effect:

·        Its seeds were collected as a laxative or emetic

·        Once onto asthma and it was suggested as a water beater

·        It was used for getting out of the habit of smoking

·        It is applied in the homoeopathy only already today for the sicknesses of the central nervous system.

·        Onto the treatment of a stomach and intestine complaints.

·        blood pressure increases it

Application:

It contains extremely toxic alkaloid!

Mostly its seeds are toxic; even so it was used in former times as a herb.

Its seeds were used as a laxative or evacuator, and they were recommended for asthma and as a diuretic as well. The extract from the seeds was used for quitting smoking. Today, it is only used in homeopathy, for treating central nervous system diseases, stomach and intestinal problems and vertigo. It increases blood pressure; its nitrous salt is applied in treating migraine.

Its leaves were used as mucigogue and cathartic.

Sponsors:

Ministry of National Resources

University of Szeged

KEFAG Zrt.

Future of Europe Association