Locust tree pictures and morphological characteristics: get to know this common tree species

The locust tree usually refers to the Chinese scholar tree (Sophora japonica), a deciduous tree in the genus Sophora of the Fabaceae family. It originated in our country and has a long history of cultivation, and is often used as a street tree and courtyard landscaping tree. Many people search for locust tree pictures because they want to identify this tree from photos. Below is an introduction based on its appearance.

As seen in pictures, the bark of the locust tree is grayish brown with vertical cracks on the surface, and the crown is broad and rounded. The leaves are pinnately compound, with ovate leaflets and slightly pointed tips. It blooms in early summer each year, with pale yellow to whitish flowers borne in clusters at the tips of the branches, looking from a distance like a layer of pale floral mist; the fruit is a beaded pod, fleshy and indehiscent, and highly distinctive.

Common cultivated varieties include the dragon-claw pagoda tree (Sophora japonica var. pendula), whose branches curve and droop, giving the tree an umbrella-like shape; the golden-stem pagoda tree and golden-leaf pagoda tree have yellowish leaves and a more striking ornamental effect; there is also the butterfly pagoda tree with small, rounded leaflets. It should be noted that the black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia), which bears small white flowers in spring and has thorns on its branches, is not the same tree as the Chinese scholar tree, and the two are easily confused when looking through pictures.

The locust tree is highly adaptable, tolerant of drought and poor soil, and long-lived, making it an important landscaping tree in many regions. Its flower buds and fruits can be used as medicine, and its wood has a fine grain and is often used to make furniture and building components.