TREE OF THE MONTH
By Len Phillips , ASLA Emeritus
Trade Name: Northern Acclaim® Honeylocust Botanical Name: Gleditsia triacanthos inermis 'Harve' Parentage: Cultivar selected by Dale Herman at North Dakota State University Family: Fabaceae Year of Introduction: 2000 Height: 45 feet Spread: 35 feet Form: Broadly pyramidal, straight trunk Bloom Period: Spring Flower: Small inconspicuous greenish racemes Fruit: Generally seedless, very few long twisted pods are often a sign of stress to the tree Summer Foliage: Medium-green, fine texture, leathery Autumn Foliage: Yellow in autumn Winter Color: Bark provides winter interest Bark: Straight sturdy black trunk Habitat: Southeast United States from Pennsylvania to Texas and Nebraska Culture: Rich, well-drained soil, tolerates urban pollution and dry conditions, prefers sun, adapts to wide range of growing conditions Hardiness Zone*: 3 – 9, developed for its cold hardiness Growth Rate: Rapid, 2 to 4 feet per year, full size in 30 years Pest Problems: Moderate resistance to disease, excellent resistance to pests and easily able to withstand injuries Storm Resistance: Excellent Salt Resistance: Good Planting: Transplants easily bare root and B&B, has deep fibrous roots Pruning: Fast growing but well behaved, requires little pruning Propagating: Softwood cuttings in summer Design Uses: Excellent specimen, good street tree, excellent in lawns and gardens because casts very light shadow and has low maintenance needs Companions: Use with all types of perennials Other Comments: No thorns, casts light shade, similar to G. t. i. 'Skyline', does best in the Great Plains environment,
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Photo provided by J. Frank Schmidt & Son Co.
suitable for CU-Structural Soil planting Available From: Difficult to find in retail nurseries, look in the largest wholesale nurseries
* For information about the USDA Hardiness Zone Map, visit: www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/index.html
These are the personal observations of the author, living in New England – Zone 5b. Leonard Phillips can be reached via e-mail at lenphillips@on-line-seminars.com.
Arbor Age / October 2011 15
