FRUIT.—June-July, remaining on the tree until early winter; a short-stalked legume 2-1/2-3 inches long, pointed at both ends, rose color; seeds 10-12, brownish, 1/4 inch long.
WINTER-BUDS.—Terminal bud absent; lateral buds 1/8 inch long, obtuse, somewhat flattened and appressed, brownish.
BARK.—Twigs lustrous, brown, becoming dark or grayish brown; red-brown, deeply fissured, with a scaly surface on old trunks.
WOOD.—Heavy, hard, coarse-grained, weak, dark red-brown, with thin, lighter colored sapwood.
DISTRIBUTION.—Valleys of the Grand and Raisin Rivers and southward.
HABITAT.—Prefers the borders of streams and rich bottom-lands, often in the shade of other trees.
NOTES.—A rapid grower. Hardy within its range. Can be transplanted with success only when very young. Plants begin to produce flowers freely when 4-5 years old. Much used in landscape gardening.