Gleditsia, Thornless Honeylocust 'Rubylace'

The new foliage is burgundy, but it quickly fades to a drab olive-brown. The best way to emphasize the new growth is to start with a smal...Read Morel whip and pollard it, removing all but 6" of the previous year's growth every year in late winter/early spring. This encourages new growth throughout the growing season.

Cultivars like 'Ruby Lace' are propagated by grafting onto the species. Spiny suckers may emerge from the roots, especially if they're wounded. So a groundcover or a mixture of perennials might be better for underplanting than grass, as mowing may encourage suckering.

This species does not perform well in the clay soils and hot humid summers of the southeastern US. There you may be better off growing the purple-leaf mimosa, Albizia julibrissin 'Summer Chocolate.'

Great looking tree.. not sure if this form is a lot hardier to warm climates than the regular Honey Myrtle, but that one is listed as onl...Read Morey growing up to zone 7b... here in zone 9b, bordering on 10a, this tree looks terrific. Great summer color- deep maroon leaves.