Legume/Pea family, Fabaceae
Origin: the south of Europe, Balkan
Habitat in the original area: shrubs, forest edges
Habitus: A shrub or small tree growing to the height of 5–13 metres; its branches are rounded.
Leaf: Trifoliate, long-petiolate leaves consist of elliptical or ovate leaflets with a tip on the top. They grow on brachyblasts. Their underside is silvery green due to appressed white trichomes; the upper side dull and dark green and without trichomes.
Bloom, fruit: It blooms from April to June with yellow, butterfly-like blossoms arranged in hanging clusters. The fruit is an up to 8 cm long pod containing brown-black kidney-shaped seeds.
Interesting fact: The whole plant is poisonous; the biggest amount of poison (the alkaloid cytisine) is contained in the seeds. Poisoning is manifested by vomiting and diarrhoea. Death can occur within an hour if a large dose is consumed. The plant is popularly known as “golden rain“ due to the deep yellow inflorescences that fall to the ground. This name is sometimes also used for the Forsythia species.
