Robinia pseudoacacia ‘Twisty Baby’ (Dwarf Black Locust)  Before planting this tree, it’s important to appreciate the entire tree, for better or worse. It is a native to the southeastern United States, but is considered an invasive species in some regions.   What’s to Love:  Robinia ‘Twisty Baby’ is a fast-growing, small, deciduous, specimen tree (8-10’ tall), best utilized as a focal point in the garden. It has graceful, curving branches, dripping with fragrant white racemes in spring (5-7” long) that smell like orange blossoms. Prune only in spring, just after bloom, to avoid removing next year’s flower buds. The tree is deer resistant.    Black Locust trees are considered an excellent nectar source for honey bees. Bee keepers harvest the monofloral honey from Robinia pseudoacacia (False Acacia, sometimes labeled American Acacia) for its low acid content and its high fructose content, which allows it to stay liquid for a long time.  The Cautionary Side:  Locust borers can be a problem, riddling the trunk and branches with holes where they lay their eggs. When winter ends, larvae burrow into the trunk, weakening the tree, causing it to become stunted and diseased, often killing the tree.  Suckering will occur around the trunk, and these new shoots should be removed regularly to maintain the integrity of the tree. Watch for scale, leaf miner, powdery mildew and canker and treat immediately, or remove infected branches and dispose of carefully. Situate the tree in a well-drained location to avoid root-rot and fungal disease (Phytophthora), especially in regions receiving heavy rainfall. Information on twig blight and cankers can be found here.  In France and Italy, the flowers of Robinia pseudoacacia are eaten as beignets: battered, deep fried in oil, and sprinkled with powered sugar. However, other parts of the plant are considered poisonous. Information, here on which parts of the plant are edible, and which are poisonous.  In regions with heavy snow and ice, the contorted branches are susceptible to winter storm damage.

Robinia pseudoacacia ‘Twisty Baby’ (Dwarf Black Locust) 

Before planting this tree, it’s important to appreciate the entire tree, for better or worse. It is a native to the southeastern United States, but is considered an invasive species in some regions.  

What’s to Love: 

Robinia ‘Twisty Baby’ is a fast-growing, small, deciduous, specimen tree (8-10’ tall), best utilized as a focal point in the garden. It has graceful, curving branches, dripping with fragrant white racemes in spring (5-7” long) that smell like orange blossoms. Prune only in spring, just after bloom, to avoid removing next year’s flower buds. The tree is deer resistant.   

Black Locust trees are considered an excellent nectar source for honey bees. Bee keepers harvest the monofloral honey from Robinia pseudoacacia (False Acacia, sometimes labeled American Acacia) for its low acid content and its high fructose content, which allows it to stay liquid for a long time. 

The Cautionary Side: 

Locust borers can be a problem, riddling the trunk and branches with holes where they lay their eggs. When winter ends, larvae burrow into the trunk, weakening the tree, causing it to become stunted and diseased, often killing the tree. 

Suckering will occur around the trunk, and these new shoots should be removed regularly to maintain the integrity of the tree. Watch for scale, leaf miner, powdery mildew and canker and treat immediately, or remove infected branches and dispose of carefully. Situate the tree in a well-drained location to avoid root-rot and fungal disease (Phytophthora), especially in regions receiving heavy rainfall. Information on twig blight and cankers can be found here. 

In France and Italy, the flowers of Robinia pseudoacacia are eaten as beignets: battered, deep fried in oil, and sprinkled with powered sugar. However, other parts of the plant are considered poisonous. Information, here on which parts of the plant are edible, and which are poisonous. 

In regions with heavy snow and ice, the contorted branches are susceptible to winter storm damage.

Groundbreaker: Gilles Clément Clément, an international Renaissance Man when it comes to the concepts of “design” and “gardening” and “ecology.” He developed the conceptual design tools of the Moving Garden, the Planetary Garden, and his more recent concept, Landscapes of the Third Kind. Clément has degrees in both landscape design and agronomy, and has worked on numerous public gardens including Parc André-Citroën, the Henri Matisse Park in Lille, and the Valloires Abbey gardens ~ but refers to himself as a “gardener.” In 1999, the French national prize for landscape architecture was bestowed upon him without his permission. He insisted that the real architects of the landscape are actually the farmers and foresters. Pictured: The Royal Gardens of Blois PHOTO BY: Georges Lévêque  Boxwood and Birch Garden, Parc André Citroën, Paris, France, here.

Groundbreaker: Gilles Clément

Clément, an international Renaissance Man when it comes to the concepts of “design” and “gardening” and “ecology.” He developed the conceptual design tools of the Moving Garden, the Planetary Garden, and his more recent concept, Landscapes of the Third Kind. Clément has degrees in both landscape design and agronomy, and has worked on numerous public gardens including Parc André-Citroën, the Henri Matisse Park in Lille, and the Valloires Abbey gardens ~ but refers to himself as a “gardener.” In 1999, the French national prize for landscape architecture was bestowed upon him without his permission. He insisted that the real architects of the landscape are actually the farmers and foresters.

Pictured: The Royal Gardens of Blois 
PHOTO BY: Georges Lévêque 

Boxwood and Birch Garden, Parc André Citroën, Paris, France, here.

Botanical Chart: Pollination and Pollinators, University of Wisconsin.  Flowering plants are intimately tied to wind, water, and especially animals to make seeds and complete their life cycles. Showy flowers, big and small, owe their size, shape, perfume and color to the preferences of critters; insects especially may share any number of blooms from different plant species. This poster illustrates the kaleidoscopic diversity of both the flowers and their pollinators (the astute observer will note that bumblebees love blue). (Available for purchase from the University of Wisconsin.)

Botanical Chart: Pollination and Pollinators, University of Wisconsin. 

Flowering plants are intimately tied to wind, water, and especially animals to make seeds and complete their life cycles. Showy flowers, big and small, owe their size, shape, perfume and color to the preferences of critters; insects especially may share any number of blooms from different plant species. This poster illustrates the kaleidoscopic diversity of both the flowers and their pollinators (the astute observer will note that bumblebees love blue).

(Available for purchase from the University of Wisconsin.)