"Sacha" wrote after...
"Bob Hobden" answered
"wheator"
I have a young Robinia tree - it's just over 2 years old now and the 1st
year's growth was quite vigourous and all looked well. However this
year's growth seems a little strange to me - new growth seems to have
started some way up the branches from last year and it has bare
branches above this new growth - these bare branches above are about
12- 18 inches in length. I was wonderding if this is normal for this
type of tree, and will last year's bare branches sring forth any new
shoots this year?
Any advice would be appreciated.

Our large R. pseudoacacia "Tortuosa" always has branches, both big and
small, that die off each year. Lots of twiggy bits died off this winter
and
have been shed and I've had to cut off some dead larger branches that
might
fall and cause damage.
Flowered well though but strangely still not fully in leaf, possibly the
dryness around here.

I'd say it was normal from our experience.

This is one of the reasons that we tend to recommend Gleditsia triacanthos
'Sunburst' for people who want a tree of that colour. It doesn't suffer
from the brittle branches and died back bits Robinias seem to get.


That's OK if you want a tree like R. pseudoacacia "Frisia" with lime green
foliage. :-)

"Tortuosa" has normal green leaves but in ringlets/bunches, slightly
contorted branches and ours flowers beautifully every spring and is over
30ft high. (about 20 years old)
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/c...udoacacia.html
shows a normal green R. pseudoacacia and the flowers, can't find one of
"Tortuosa" but some of the info about that variety on the net ( to10ft and
doesn't flower ??) is patently wrong unless ours is a "one off".

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
17mls W. of London.UK