Given the JSF snippet:

 <h:form id="formId">
 <rich:tree switchType="ajax">
 <rich:recursiveTreeNodesAdaptor roots="#{testbean.rootNodes}" nodes="#{item.childrenAsList}" var="item">
 <rich:treeNode>
 <h:outputText value="#{item.infoObjectDTO.shortDescription}" />
 </rich:treeNode>
 </rich:recursiveTreeNodesAdaptor>
 </rich:tree>
 </h:form>

the node expansion works perfectly well, also for switchType server, and client.

but having the tree component be generated in Java backing bean:

 <h:form id="formId">
 <rich:tree binding="testbean.tree"/>
 </h:form>

the tree can only be expanded, if it has switchType="client".

any ideas?