Robinia pseudoacacia ‘Purple Robe’
33 feet high x 25 feet wide
Open upright shape
Zone 4
Full Sun
Racemes of deep rose-pink pea-like flowers in late spring are the first reason to choose this tree, then add the overall tree shape with a wonderfully textured, dark-barked trunk and the bluish-green open canopy of pinnate, fernlike foliage. Tolerance of dry alkaline soil is good.
These truly xeric plants can live with our 12 inches of natural annual precipitation and only need a winter watering during a multi-year drought, but they will thrive with a monthly watering. Overwatering will kill some of these. These plants are adapted to intermittent deep
watering with soil drying to a depth of a few inches between waterings. Watering frequency may be every couple of weeks during the active growing season and maybe only one winter watering for optimal care. These plants need regular watering somewhat like a bluegrass lawn so that
they never dry to depth in the root system during the active growing season, and need occasional winter watering to prevent root dessication and resultant plant
death.