Honey Locust vs. Mimosa Trees

The mature size of mimosa and honey locust trees is quite different. Mimosa trees can reach an eventual height between 20 and 40 feet tall, with a spread between 20 and 50 feet. Honey locust trees can grow up to between 60 and 80 feet tall, with a spread that is also between 60 and 80 feet.

Is a mimosa tree a locust tree?
How can you tell a honey locust tree?
Is honey locust A good tree?
Why are mimosa trees bad?
Do honey locust trees smell good?
Is Mimosa invasive?
Is a honey locust tree poisonous?
What is a locust tree good for?
Are locust trees valuable?
Do honey locust trees have deep roots?
Is honey locust invasive?
Are honey locust tree roots invasive?

Is a mimosa tree a locust tree?

Today, I would like to talk about three of the best-smelling flowering trees I know. The mimosa (albizia julibrissin), the honey locust (gleditsia triacanthos) and the unrelated black locust (robinia pseudoacacia). There are a number of reasons I could have grouped these three shade trees together.

How can you tell a honey locust tree?

Honey locust trees have a short or arched main trunk shape, and the branches and stems grow off it in zig-zag formation like that of the black locust tree. So although the growth patterns are similar, if the trunk of a tree you are working to identify is arched, that tree must be a honey locust tree.

Is honey locust A good tree?

But don't be afraid of its anti-social attitude, for the honey locust is a very pretty and useful tree that is commonly planted as an ornamental. ... The honey locust is a very fast grower, and commonly reaches heights of around 70 to 100 feet.

Why are mimosa trees bad?

Like most fast growing trees, the wood of the mimosa is brittle, and branch attachments are weak. As the mature size of the tree ranges between 20 to 40 feet in height and width, breaking branches may not be fatal but are cause for concern when next to pedestrian and vehicular travel paths.

Do honey locust trees smell good?

Gleditsia triacanthos. http://www.arborday.org. Gleditsia triacanthos flowers up close. ... Black locust flowers are sweetly fragrant of orange blossom honey, and the scent carries best in warm humid weather on a south breeze.

Is Mimosa invasive?

Mimosa is short lived and very messy. It, in a very short time, shades large areas in the landscape which inhibit sun-loving shrubs and grasses. Seed pods litter both the tree and the ground, and the tree is considered an invasive species in North America.

Is a honey locust tree poisonous?

Honey Locust has few significant pests. Canker can sometimes be a problem, but rarely kills the tree. ... Honey locust can produce numerous thorns that are capable of puncturing implement tires. Though not listed as a toxic plant, contact with thorns often results in sore wounds that are slow to heal.

What is a locust tree good for?

In Hungary, Black Locust is the basis of commercial honey production. The high-density wood is the most rot resistant wood we can grow in our climate, making it an ideal material for fenceposts, hope poles, outdoor furniture, decks, and other projects that require weatherproof materials.

Are locust trees valuable?

Black Locust wood contains natural organic compounds that resist rot for 100 years or more, which makes these trees an extremely valuable and environmentally friendly tree. It is the perfect wood for fence and deck posts.

Do honey locust trees have deep roots?

Honey locusts have strong, deep taproots that extend as far as 20 feet down as opposed to most trees, which only extend 3 to 7 feet beneath the surface However, unlike the classic tap root system, honey locust trees also have profusely branching roots, as is characteristic of heart root systems.

Is honey locust invasive?

Honey locusts are deciduous and bear compound leaves, often with numerous leaflets. ... The common honey locust, or thorny locust (Gleditsia triacanthos), of North America is a popular ornamental plant, though it is an aggressive invasive species in some areas outside its native range.

Are honey locust tree roots invasive?

Like many other trees with invasive roots, honey locust suckers grow freely from roots, sending up potential new trees that must be dealt with. Those roots can also pose problems with underground pipes. ... See our 10 tips for landscaping around trees.