Easily grown in a loamy soil, requiring a sunny position. Succeeds in most soils. Tolerates drought once established and atmospheric pollution. A rather tender plant, especially when young, it is seen at its best in southern Britain. Older trees, however, are completely hardy in Britain. Trees at Kew produced lots of pods and fertile seeds in the hot summer of 1989, they also fruited well in the cool summer of 1993 and also in 1994, 95 and 96. Trees are cultivated for their seedpods in Japan. Trees have a light canopy, they come into leaf late in the spring and drop their leaves in early autumn making them an excellent canopy tree for a woodland garden. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus. This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby.

Seed - cooked. The seed is roasted, dehusked, soaked until soft then boiled and eaten with sugar. The seed contains 22.4% protein and 2.8% fat. Young leaves - cooked. A famine food used when all else fails.

Seed - pre-soak for 24 hours in warm water and then sow in spring in a greenhouse. The seed should have swollen up, in which case it can be sown, if it has not swollen then soak it for another 24 hours in warm water. If this does not work then file away some of the seed coat but be careful not to damage the embryo. Further soaking should then cause the seed to swell. One it has swollen, the seed should germinate within 2 - 4 weeks at 20°c. As soon as they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual deep pots and plant them out into their permanent positions in the summer. Give the plants some protection from the cold for their first few winters outdoors.

Damp sandy soils