Tree of the Week

The more familiar Roninia or False Acacia (Robinia pseudoacacia, otherwise known as Black Locust) has drooping clusters of flowers that are creamy-white in colour. ThIs Tree of the Week is a hybrid of that species crossed with R. keleysi, the cultivar in question being 'Hillieri', which is notable for its often abundant beautiful Wisteria-like lilac-pink flowers. These are produced even by quite young trees, developing in June and hanging in racemes along the branches. They are delicately fragrant and contrast prettily with the delicate, mid-green pinnate (feather-like) summer foliage.

It is a tough tree, tolerant of drought although it does benefit from being sheltered from cold winds, being best suited to a sheltered position in full sun or dappled shade. In a garden situation it will grow to 6 x 4 metres in 20 years forming a rounded head of somewhat spiny branches although it can attain 8-12 metres or even more. The Queenswood tree, growing an=mongst other trees but evidently happy is a case in point as was measured in 2018 to be 20 metres in height with a girth of 142 am, making it the UK champion for height and girth.

The Queenswood specimen is exceptional: its size should not deter gardeners from growing this most attractive tree!