Laburnum

Like Forsythia, the flowers are almost fluorescent in colour - and it's been a good growing year for this tree just like it seemed to be for the forsythia last summer. This photo was taken looking up into the branches, so don't exactly show the formation of the 'chains' of flowers that hang down - hence it's common name of Golden Chain.

 

Laburnum has gained itself a bit of a fearsome reputation on account of it containing the poisonous substance cytosine - which is similar to nicotine, but not nearly as toxic.

 

There are plenty of other very common garden plants which we should be equally wary of ingestion, such as foxgloves, common ivy and even the gorgeous delphiniums which all contain toxic substances.

 

I think the only reason laburnum has been singled out is because their seedpods could possibly be mistaken for the pods of garden peas.

Done