Twisty Baby Black Locust - Robinia psudoacacia

[laughingwillow]

I stumbled onto a single specimin at a local Lowes a couple/few years back and couldn't resist using it as a focal point of the yard. Anyway, this tree is beautiful all year long. The dense, droopping folage creates pockets of dark and bright green club-like clumps when the sun shines through. And it's branches are twisting back in contorted crooks and even loops that are really visually impressive during a mid-winter snow. The info I've found on the net says that this cultivar doesn't flower readily, but mine has produced a few clusters the last two years. This summer the monster is really taking off. Its not supposed to get much bigger than 15' tall and wide. At this rate, it should be there next year.  Some say it produces suckers, others says not. This cultivar has been around since 1996, when the first specimin was saved from a compost pile by a nursery worker. I'd sure like a few starters to gift to friends. Any cloning/prop advice would be welcome. I'd post a pic, but don't think the site is hosting images as of yet?

Btw, any pics I've found on the net aren't mearly as impressive as the gal in our yard. The small, bracketed leaves are starting to look like hanging moss clumps.

lw

[CJ]

That has got my attention! About a year ago,I extended the patio outside my livingroom,and have regretted ever since.

     Too much concrete.

     Jus`yesterday, I had the idea of cutting a square in the concrete,and planting a small tree. Mabe even pounding a pipe to it, and putting it on the bubbler system w/ the other trees. But I wondered....what? It jus can`t be anything,and not the same thing. Thats the problem w/trees,you want some inspiration.

     Inspiration jus` mabe hit. Intuition says affirmative.I`ll have to ask for some info from you,if you don` mind, Lw.

[laughingwillow]

This would be a perfect specimin for a patio, CJ.  There are pics all over the net, but none seem to do this tree justice. I'll snap some pics and email them to you, bro. Maybe even today.

I was watching the sun set behind the twisty baby last night. The younger vegetation si a light green and the older foliage turns a deeper green/blue. SO when the sun shines throuhg, the lighter colored edges are lit up all golden-like while the center of the clumps remain dark, the natural color variation being exagerated...

lw

[VajraPirate]

'Tis a beautiful tree indeed, lw!

Quite gnarly. I could imagine a sunset behind it would only increase the eyes desire to stay fixed upon such a wonderful specimen.

[space]

Hey, lw, check these people out.  This link should take you to their page about propagating shipmast black locust from root cuttings.  Their home page is worth checking out, too, for the particulars of their green goals.

//http://www.blacklocust.org/shipmast.html

From what I've been able to find, yours should be amenable to this as well.  



And if'n you do propagate that gnarly wonder...

[laughingwillow]

Thanks for the link, space. I bookmarked it. And I'll be working on this little project fer sure. One has your name on her if'n they ever do their thing, space-bro.

lw

[laughingwillow]

An observation about this plant...

All the lit I've read suggests this tree requires a low to medium amount of water. But I've found that our twisty baby has been willing to take as much water as it can get. As a matter of fact, it the leaves appear to either be growing/flourishing or drying back at all times. Too much water and it grows, not enough and the older growth begins to dry and turn a blue-green, especially during hot spells.

lw

[Arhuline]

Robinia psudoacacia little info:

Well this tree origins from USA from two areals. First one is in Apalache mountains (is this between Penslyvania, Ohio, Alabama and north of georgia. the second, smaller areal is 'round south Missouri, Arkansas & Oklahoma. Often named just acacia - but it's WRONG.
actually this tree is quite picky: It wants deep soil (NO ROCKS), no stillwaters, hates drought... Wind and snow brake her easeley. Hates low temparatures and adores sunny spots.


tall till 30meters (have no clue how many ft), very wide yet shallow root system... (on roots you can see little "balls" (don't laugh!) that contain bacteria Rhizobium which produces nytrogene for the tree.)nice, huh? Well Nytrogene is dipached in the soil and then the roots do the rest.
robinia was brought in Europe in 1600 b franc dude J-J. Robin and nowdays on of the most grown tree besides Eucalyptus.
But hear this: this tree loves to grow its own clones from roots. that means that suddenly there's gon'na be bush around the log and the more you cut it the more it grows... oly shade kills the pesky clones.
In Slovenia we have a big problem with Robinia 'cause here was planted aswell for honey-bees in the coastal region of Slo. but In few years she started to spread subspontainus and now she presents a big threat for other domestic sorts and is one of the most agressive tree in europe.

Some more things: robinia provides 7 kg of honey per day /when blossoming ddddah/
Flowers are suitable for frying... and the tree crust is very suitable for menewer replacement.
Seeds and crust are higly poisonus -albinuma robin & fazin- glue erytrocites together!!!!!!!!!!!


http://www.sumfak.hr/~dendrolo/kljuc/at ... p?id=robps

http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/i ... P5CwABAA@@

[Arhuline]

ok if you need to produce a clone you should cut a branc that is cut on both ends, on one horizontaly and on the other in 30°angle.
then leave only few leaves and stick the horizontal end in growth hormon and then in growing cavity.
Soil should be mixed with sand and decomposed Sphagnide in measure 1:3

you have to do this during the winter and.... good luck in spring;)

[laughingwillow]

Thanks, man.

Sounds about right. This plant does seem to hate dry spells. And I'm worried about it losing a few of the more ornamental lower branches due to wind and cold. But it does overwinter just fine up here in central Iowa. Hopefully, we live in a sheltered enough area and the tree will stay small enough to avoid most damage by high winds. (This convoluted robinia is supposed to top out at 6 or 7 meters.)

I've had a few flowers the last two springs. Does this tree normally produce viable seed?

Thanks.

lw

[Finbar]

LW,

Whut ya wanna do iz air layer a coupla bracnhes.

Take a razor, use alcohol to sterilize, allow alcohol to dry, remove outer layer of branch by makin' two cutz. The distance between the cutz should be 1 1/2 timez the width of the branch. This keepz tha tissue from fusin' over tha graft.

Moisten tha cut. Apply rootin' hormonez ta tha cut. Moisten some sphagnum moss and carefully cover tha notch. Wrap in plastic. Tie top and bottom of the plastic. Wait 6-12 monthz. May have ta add H2O from time ta time. I started a camellia last summer/early Fall once. I think it is best to start in spring, but try some now. All plantz iz diffeunt.

There are several versionz of thiz method. Another iz ta do everything else(cuttin' & hormonin'), but then use a plastic flower pot and insert tha branch into a hole in tha bottom of tha pot. Add soil. Might have ta rig somethin' up to support tha contraption.

If branchez iz low enough, same as above, but just bury tha cut branch.

Gee, whut ya got there? A plant that makez wo-menz drop theyz pantiez at tha mere site of h'it?

Send me a dozen.

Fin

PS Arhuline, edit tha second link so peepz do not have ta scroll to-n-fro.

[laughingwillow]

Nice links, arh.

It appears I should be looking for legume-like seed pods to develop from the flowers.

Can this tree self-pollinate?

lw

[Arhuline]

well acctualy this tree is polinated with insects - bees, uh.. to many to count...
seeds....

hehehe, no problem, I can send it to you, will try to find the best ones in nature, but I'll have to test them firs, 'cause I don't like sending blanks.
 :wink:

[Arhuline]

Luckyly I have a tree shp near by my home

[willow]

Hi all!  I have a question cincerning the Twisted Baby black locust.  I'd like to plant one near my house foundation but have heard the roots can be invasive.  Do any of you know if this is true?  Thanks for any info!