Shademaster Locust Tree

Q: What are the pros and cons of the Shademaster locust tree? Do you have suggestions for another shade tree that grows fast, won’t uproot walkways, and is easy to clean up after?

A: ‘Shademaster’ thornless honeylocust is a nice-looking tree, very tolerant of city/suburban conditions. Some years it will have a nice yellow fall color. The leaflets are small and rarely require raking. Interestingly, the method of making this thornless tree involves grafting a bud from the thorn-free top of the tree onto a short, young, native locust rootstock. Since a thorn-filled lower trunk doesn’t develop, the tree exhibits all of honeylocust’s good qualities without the stickers! Get details on good landscape plants for Georgia at xrl.us/landscapeplants (BROKEN).