Maackia chinensis Seeds | Chinese Maackia
LATIN NAME: Maackia chinensis
COMMON NAME: Chinese Maackia
Plant Profile
Chinese maackia is a deciduous tree of the pea family, native to the warm forests of central and eastern China, where it grows to about fifteen metres. It has pinnate leaves with oval leaflets, smooth grey bark that peels in strips, and upright spikes of white, pea-like flowers in summer.
The flowers are followed by flat brown pods that persist into winter, and the foliage turns a soft yellow before it falls. The crown is open and light, so grass and perennials grow beneath it without competing for light. The bark peels in vertical strips, which is one of the best ways to recognise the tree in winter.
Science & Biotechnology
The species is one of a small genus of nitrogen-fixing trees, and research has looked at the rhizobia that nodulate its roots and at how much nitrogen it adds to the soil. Its wood anatomy and its relationship to the related Maackia amurensis have been studied, and the genus is used in phylogenetic work on the tribe Sophoreae.
In China it is included in trials of trees for reclaiming degraded land, since it grows on thin, dry soils and improves them as it goes. Its bark has been examined for the compounds that make it bitter, and its seed has been analysed for use as a protein source.
Uses & Benefits
In the garden it is grown as a small shade tree, valued for its white flower spikes and its light, open crown, which lets grass grow underneath. The wood is hard and pale, used for small turnery and tool handles.
Its ability to fix nitrogen makes it useful in a mixed planting or a shelterbelt on poor soil, where it feeds the plants around it. It is also a good tree for a hot, dry site, since it tolerates drought once its roots are down.
In China the bark is used in local medicine, and the tree is planted along roads and in parks for its tolerance of poor air and compacted ground. Its flowers are visited by bees, and the pods are taken by birds in winter.
Growing from Seed
Sow in spring after scarifying the hard coat and soaking for a day; germination is usually quick. Plant out in sun in well-drained soil, and water in the first two summers.
The tree tolerates poor, dry ground once established, but it needs a warm site to ripen its wood. Prune only to remove dead or crossing branches, in late winter, since the tree bleeds if cut when in growth. In a cold garden, plant it against a warm wall, since the wood needs a long summer to ripen. Seed can be collected from the pods in autumn, but the tree rarely sets much in cool climates.
Our Take
An uncommon tree with white pea flowers, light shade and the ability to feed the soil beneath it. It deserves to be planted more widely in warm gardens.
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