Mystery tree

[Jenny Green]

Yes, another unidentified plant for you!

I took some seed from a beautiful tree that grows at the allotment site I used to frequent. It's about 15 feet and the flowers are racemes (I think? - like a wisteria) in pale lilac I seem to remember, with flattened pea-like pods that dry leathery brown. It flowers in the spring.

I managed to grow a few saplings from the seeds and planted them out together in the garden. One thing you may not be able to see from the photos are that the stems have thorns about six inches apart along them.

I've scoured my RHS manual but cannot find this tree. Please help!





Oh, and while you're at it, please admire my beautiful roses too!

[Mole]

Hi Jenny

From the pictuures and description, its a legume, almost certainly an acacia/locust, probably some form of Robinia pseudoacacia?

Will look up in a book later


Nice roses Btw - is it Iceberg?
Mole

[Jenny Green]

Thanks Mole. I thought acacias had yellow blossom?

[Mole]

Definitely white around here....

[Mole]

Sorry

to clarify: The tree which foresters call acacia is actually called Robinia pseudoacacia botanically and known as 'Black Locust' in some countries It has white flowers. I saw one flowering today. Also, there is the 'Honey Locust' (Gleditsia triacanthos) which has smaller leaflets and makes a smaller prettier tree. Both species are commonly seen in their golden leaved form in gardens - Robinia 'Frisia' and Gleditsia 'Sunburst'

True acacias (or 'Wattles')such as Acacia dealbata, A. baileyana or A pravissima (all common in gardens down here) have yellow flowers.
Hope this is helpful
Mole

[Jenny Green]

I looked up Robinia Pseudoacacia Frisia in my RHS book and was quite alarmed to read it grows to about 80 feet! Eeeek! I hope it's the smaller version, but I'm still not convinced that's what it is, because I'm pretty sure the flowers aren't white. Mine hasn't flowered yet, though, I'm going from memory.
I'll look up Honey Locust on the net.

[oldherbaceous]

Morning Jenny, it is a Robinia, but of what kind is another matter, as we know your colour descriptions are different to most.
I think it might be Robinia Slavinni, these have a pale pinky-white flower.

[Jenny Green]

Many thanks to you both. I think there's no doubt it's a Locust and I'm crossing my fingers that it's a Robinia Slavinii as Herby suggests, as that's a much smaller, prettier tree!
Unfortunately I can't find a lot of information about the slavinii so I can't compare the details. My trees have the pairs of thorns at the base of each leaf that the huge Black Locust have. The seed pods sound the same as well, so it's definitely not Honey Locust, as their seed pods are very different.
I'm just going to hope that my memory serves me correctly and that the flowers are pink/lilac and not white.
Thanks so much. I'm definitely on the right track now, and know a bit more about trees to boot!

[oldherbaceous]

Dear Jenny, i'm so sorry i forgot to mention those gorgeous roses, what a credit to you.

Are you sure they are really yours.

[Bren]

Jenny
Lovely roses, do you get a second flush later on in the year?.

Bren

[Jenny Green]

Yes, Bren, I will, though not as good as this. In fact, the photo I took wasn't at the peak of flowering, which seems to be now, as there's not much green foliage in sight. They've thrived on neglect. All I've done since last summer is prune them and tie them in. No manure, nothing!
Yes, Herby, they're all mine and I'm quite shameless about them.