The Ruby Lace Honey Locust (Gleditsia triacanthos ‘Ruby Lace’) is a distinctive deciduous tree, celebrated for its vibrant foliage. This ornamental tree offers a striking visual presence in various landscapes. Its graceful form and changing leaf colors throughout the seasons make it a notable specimen.
Unique Characteristics
The Ruby Lace Honey Locust typically reaches a mature height of 30 to 40 feet with a spread of 20 to 30 feet, forming an open, upright, and spreading canopy. Its growth habit lends a fine, delicate texture to the landscape, creating a soft appearance. The tree’s dynamic foliage color evolves throughout the growing season.
New leaves emerge in spring with a brilliant ruby-red hue. As summer progresses, these vibrant leaves transition to a bronzy-green or coppery-bronze shade. In autumn, the foliage transforms into coppery-bronze, yellow, or orange tones, providing seasonal interest. ‘Ruby Lace’ is thornless, enhancing its landscape appeal. Its delicate, fern-like leaves contribute to an airy aesthetic.
Optimal Growing Conditions
The Ruby Lace Honey Locust thrives in full sunlight, requiring at least six hours of direct sun exposure daily for optimal growth and color development. It demonstrates remarkable adaptability to various soil conditions, preferring well-drained soil but tolerating a range of soil types and pH levels. This tree can handle both dry and moist locations, making it a resilient choice.
Once established, it exhibits good drought tolerance, though consistent moisture is beneficial, especially for young trees. The Ruby Lace Honey Locust is also tolerant of urban pollution and environmental salt, allowing it to flourish in challenging inner-city environments. It is hardy in USDA Zones 4 through 9, indicating its ability to withstand a wide range of winter temperatures.
Planting and Ongoing Care
The best times for planting a Ruby Lace Honey Locust are spring or fall, when temperatures are moderate. When planting, dig a hole two to three times wider than the root ball, but only as deep, ensuring the tree sits at the same level it was in its nursery container. Backfill the hole carefully, firming the soil to remove air pockets, and water thoroughly after planting to help settle the soil around the roots. For newly planted trees, consistent watering is important, especially during dry periods, to encourage root establishment.
Established trees require less frequent watering, as they become more drought-tolerant. Fertilization is usually not heavily required for this tree; if needed, a balanced, slow-release fertilizer can be applied sparingly in early spring. Pruning is best done in late winter or early autumn to prevent bleeding from cuts, focusing on maintaining the tree’s shape, removing any dead or damaged branches, and establishing a strong structural framework.
Common Challenges
While robust, the Ruby Lace Honey Locust can encounter challenges. Common insect pests include spider mites, which can cause foliage bronzing, and honeylocust plant bugs, which may lead to yellowing or distortion of new leaves. Other pests include mimosa webworms and borers, though borer problems are often linked to trees already stressed by other factors.
Regarding diseases, cankers and root collar rot are significant issues, particularly when trees are subjected to stress from improper planting, drought, or overwatering. Symptoms of canker diseases include sunken bark areas, branch dieback, and premature leaf discoloration. Leaf spots and powdery mildew can also occur but are typically less severe.
Landscape Applications
The Ruby Lace Honey Locust is a versatile tree that offers many landscape applications due to its striking appearance and adaptable nature. Its ruby-red spring foliage makes it an excellent choice as a specimen tree, creating a vibrant focal point in gardens or larger landscapes. Its open, upright, and spreading growth habit provides dappled shade, making it suitable for seating areas or over garden beds where some light penetration is desired.
The tree’s distinct color evolution throughout the seasons also makes it an effective accent plant, adding continuous visual interest. Given its tolerance for urban conditions, including pollution and varying soil types, it is well-suited for city environments, street plantings, and parks. The ‘Ruby Lace’ cultivar is thornless and has a clean habit with minimal leaf litter, contributing to its low-maintenance appeal in designed spaces.