Can you identify this yellow flowering tree?

Question

I live on the California central coast and a friend gave me one of the many little trees that pop up from tree's bean-like seeds.
My tree is now over 8 feet tall and wide after 2 years. The blossoms are 5-petal school bus yellow about 1.5" and in cooler weather the whole tree is covered with hundreds. The blooms are in clusters of about 20. The dark green leaves
are like on locusts trees, only smaller, in strands opposite each other. The strands are 3" long. The beans, 1/2" across, 5" long, drop off in fall.
The tree architecture is open. It seems full from a distance but upclose it is easy to see right thru the tree. The branches a warm gray, very slim and when loaded with blooms tend to droop a bit.
I tried our county extension service, and looked at hundreds of photos online. It must be a native tree because plant/seed companies don't seem to have it. The stamen is green and about inch long.
My friend calls it the "popcorn tree" but it looks nothing like what I find online

Answer 1

Check out the yellow Oleander.

Answer 2

Sounds like it might be a laburnum, or golden chain tree. You didn't describe the flowers, but from the fruit and the described similarity of leaves to locust it seems like something in the Fabaceae.

Answer 3

Try this one:

"Bulnesia arborea - Verawood

This graceful, yellow/orange-flowering tree is native to Colombia and Venezuela. Foliage and flowers are both highly prized as is the timber. Beautiful specimen tree to about 40 feet. Zygophyllaceae family. Drought tolerant once established."

Photo:

http://www.zoneten.com/_borders/Bulnesia%20arborea%20flowers%20closeup.JPG

BTW, really nice flowers! Love it.

Answer 4

without seeing a image anybody on-line might want to easily be making a wild wager. in case you difficulty about the plant on your backyard take a branch to an section nursery and observe in the journey that they could identity it.