Sophora japonica

Remarkable Parisian tree: Japanese Sophora (Sophora japonica), Parc des Buttes-Chaumont, Circumference: 375 cm, Height: 10 m.
Planted in 1873 on the edge of the lake, this exceptional Japanese sophora (Sophora japonica) was awarded the national label "Remarkable Tree of France" in 2015.
Standing 10 metres tall, it has a greyish trunk with a circumference of 3.75 m and twisted branches that seem to be attracted by the water of the lake. Some of them are as big as a trunk and one of them, weakened, is leaning on the ground.
Native to China and Korea, the sophora has long leaves of 20 to 25 cm, consisting of several small elongated leaflets, distributed on either side of the central vein. They appear in late spring when most of the foliage of other trees is already green.
The late season flowers wait until August to bloom. They cluster in long, upright, creamy-white panicles, which are both fragrant and melliferous. The small papilionaceous flowers open gradually, the older ones fade and spread out in a white carpet on the ground. The fruits - in the shape of typical strangled pods - contain seeds, which are a popular source of food for birds.
Sophora is a species that is very well adapted to the city and to the current climate change. It is resistant to low temperatures, tolerant of heat and drought, and tolerant of air pollution!