Locust Tree Peculiarities
Thanks Dr. Ed, good info. My wife is convinced that the locust is weak because the branches bend so much with snow and even rain when the leaves are out. Also, it frequently drops twigs and ocasionally branches that are a couple of inches in diameter, even ones that are full of leaves. Is this tree particularly know to be prone to breakage?
Well, I have one growing in the front yard of my house, so I have some first-hand experience with them. Mine is about 26" dia. at the trunk and 24 years old.
The locust is the craziest tree I have ever known from one standpoint--the density of the wood exceeds oak but the tree grows as fast as a Chinese elm. Luckly, it doesn't grow as fast as poplar or cottonwood.
Because it grows so fast, it is prone to develop branches in every which direction, even straight down. Therefore, you have to prune the locust to save itself, and pruning a locust is somewhat of an exercise in frustration and long-term strategy. You almost have to project the shape beecause after taking off a large branch, others seem to grow even faster. So, it would be easy to send the tree off balance and into a lean angle.
The tree is a remarkable shade tree from numerous points of view. Like elm, ash, burr oak, and soft maple, it develops an enormous crown. The leaves are very small, so grass has no trouble growing underneath it--something that you cannot say about ash, hard maple, or even burr oak. So, many people like to have both shade and green grass underneath. For them, the locust is ideal.
On the downsize, yes, the locust will drop small branches, even live ones, after a good wind storm--something oaks simply do not do. In some respects, this is natural, because the tree probably "knows" it is growing too fast. So, there is always yard cleanup after a storm with any yard that is harboring a large locust tree.
There are several varieties of lucust, and all have peculiar habits. Some have thorns, others do not. Some will hold their leaves well into December. Others drop them gradually, starting in late September. Leaf color differences abound. Also, in some areas of the country, especially Illinois, the locust invites the webworm and has to be treated for that pest annually. Webworms apparently love the small leaves and will turn the whole tree into a nest.
