Maackia amurensis (Amur maackia, "Inuenju")

Japanese name: イヌエンジュ （犬槐）
Scientific name: Maackia amurensis

[Overview]
A deciduous small tree 2–14 m tall, commonly found in fertile, moderately moist places such as sunny woodland edges and riverbanks in the mountains.
The leaves are alternate and odd-pinnately compound, 20–30 cm long, with 3–6 pairs of leaflets.
The leaflets are ovate to oblong, 3–8 cm long, with pale brown soft hairs on both surfaces, especially abundant on the underside.
The leaf margins are entire.
The base of the leaf stalk is swollen.
An inflorescence made up of 3–7 pseudoracemes gathered together appears at the branch tips and bears many white pea-shaped flowers.
The fruit is a flat pod 4–9 cm long and 1 cm wide, with short hairs and a narrow wing along the upper side.

[Uses]
The wood is used for tokobashira (alcove posts) and furniture.

[Cultivation]
It grows well in fertile soil with good sun and drainage.
It is relatively hardy.
Growth is slow.
It tolerates pruning well.
Because it has few branches, to form a sturdy crown, cut it back and shape the shoots that sprout.

[Notes]
The plant that was distinguished as Hanemi-inuenju (distributed from central Honshu westward to Kyushu) shows continuous variation in form, so it is now considered the same species as Inuenju.

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