Sunburst Golden Locust

10/25/2013 | Ken Lain, mountain gardener Tips, Trees, Uncategorized

30 second plant tip of the day – Sunburst Golden Locust

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuemgVmmsCc[/youtube]

The Sunburst Honeylocust is a deciduous tree prized for its lovely foliage. They make lovely front yard specimens, and a few planted along the street would also draw attention.

Your Sunburst Locust’s light green leaves and open canopy will create the charming effect of dappled sunlight in your yard rather than the full shade that more dense trees provide.

It’s a way to have shade without the heavy, sometimes overwhelming presence of the larger trees such as Oaks or Redwoods. Your Locust is big without being too big and shady without being too shady for your grass and other plantings.

Having a Sunburst Locust is a way for you to have all the benefits of a Locust tree without the two features many people dislike. By choosing a Sunburst Locust, you’ll be free of the thorns (that can be quite sharp), and the seed pods (that can be messy), that other Locusts have.

Leaves of the Sunburst Locust are eight inches long and composed of many small, individual leaflets. This gives the foliage a tropical, fern-like appearance and will feel pleasantly soft and smooth as you run the leaves through your fingers.

Leaves begin as yellow in the spring, transition to green and again turn yellow in the fall. Small green-yellow flowers form in the spring and into early summer, but aren’t very showy. Bees and other pollinators will love the Locust in your yard though, and make good use of those early blooms.