[Alex_]

We have just moved and I want to clear some of the trees and hopefully use some for firewood.
Not sure what this one is with its three leaves and has something similar to seed pods like mangetout

[chrismahon]

My first thought was some variety of Catalpa?

[arobwk]

A "laburnum" or something closely related ??
If laburnum, as you might know, seeds are very poisonous.

I'm going to bet on Laburnum, but, whatever, it would seem to be a choice between keeping the tree or keeping the greenhouse judging by photos !

[Alex_]

Thanks. It is definitely coming down . It has already knocked over the trellis and it’s in an area where I am looking to put quail. So the last place for poisonous seeds to fall.

[arobwk]

I once "inherited" a semi-mature laburnum, but it was eventually blown over:  it had obviously been poorly planted as the root-ball was just that - a ball of tightly-bound roots.  The heart-wood, though, was a fabulous colour.
A double-check on toxicity says that flowers and leaves also toxic !  (How toxic I wouldn't know.)


Edit: the heart-wood really is quite dark and lovely - I wonder [member=162324]Alex_[/member] whether a fine wood-worker or luthier might want the trunk to store & age. 

[Fleecewife]

Doesn't look like a Laburnum to me but I've no idea what it is. 
We planted three Laburnums in our first garden (suburban) then plaited them together as they grew.  They were looking lovely by the time we moved.  I wonder if they have been cut down - they would be about 45 years old now.
At the time there wasn't the panic about toxic plants and trees that there is now because, let's face it, kids just don't go round eating bits of tree unless they have a specific pathology, but now anything doubtful goes. I can see that if it is Laburnum then poultry might very well eat the seeds.

[arobwk]

Why you say it not look like laburnum [member=4333]Fleecewife[/member] ?  I was/am 95%+ sure on Laburnum, but what else might it be ?

[Fleecewife]

Why you say it not look like laburnum [member=4333]Fleecewife[/member] ?  I was/am 95%+ sure on Laburnum, but what else might it be ?

It's about 45 years since we had our triple laburnum and clearly my brain isn't functioning    I remembered the leaves as being narrower but when I looked it up I found that you are probably right [member=152775]arobwk[/member], it's a laburnum 
Witness the decomposition of the human brain in real time  . My excuse is that I haven't seen a laburnam in the intervening 45 years