Ok, Fabaceae. I have grown this rapid growing shrub from seed that I pilfered from a plant growing in someone's front yard in Littleton, Colorado. So it is pretty hardy. Leaves compound with mostly 13 [+/- 2] leaflets. Estimated 15-25 cm. in length [I forgot to slap a ruler on them this season]. No fall color. Nice rich yellow color in the single flowers. Seed pods almost translucent. Seeds black and flat in shape. Has grown quickly to about 10 feet, which is about as tall as I want it. Can probably grow taller. Takes pruning well. Any ideas? Many thanks. -Andy C. P.S. I have a zillion seeds this year if anyone wants any. Hmm, good sized, rapid grower, lots of seeds,...could this beasty be, or, have potential to be an invasive?
Pretty sure that's not it. Leaflets too narrow and too numerous. Seeds very different. Plus, Sesbania herbacea is apparently, well, herbaceous. Mine is a woody shrub. Browsing the Sesbania [all species] images at the USDA plants database [they have mostly seed pics] shows that they all have similar brown seeds - very unlike the flat black seeds of mine. Plus, their seed pods seem to be long and narrow, superficially Catalpa-like. At least I learned something about a new genus. New to me anyways. :-)
Saltcedar, I think you nailed it. The genus is certainly correct. I have been Googleing the genus and species and have found that there are about 25 spp. in the genus, with only 3 spp. in cultivation in the U.S. [Colutea is apparently an Old World genus]: C. arborescens, C. istria, and C. X media [C. arborescens X C. orientalis]. C. istria is apparently much less common and may not be hardy enough. C. X media has coppery colored flowers. So I am gonna mentally slap the "Colutea arborescens" label on and call it done. Many thanks. Andy C.
