Japanese Pagoda Tree (Styphnolobium japonicum)
GPS Coordinates: 40.02738, -75.313986
The Japanese Pagoda Tree (Styphnolobium japonicum) is a medium sized deciduous tree (10-20m tall) native to China and Korea. It develops into a round canopy with lustrous leaves that stay green even when they begin to fall in autumn. The yellowish-white flower blooms are bright and showy in the late summer time which indicates that it is between 10-15 years old. Along with its blooms, it produces a green elongated pod-like fruit. It is particularly fond of open, sunny locations and is very tolerant in most conditions including drought and the pests. The tree gets its name from tradition of being planted around Buddhist temples. In folklore, it is said that a cowherd once built a home out of this species of tree. Within a month his entire family was suddenly found dead. It was therefore believed that demons are drawn to this tree and it is therefore not appropriate to use its wood to build homes. In addition, in the wild, other species of tree rarely grow near it.