Is my honey locust safe in a storm?
Counterintuitive but well documented — honeylocust is rated susceptible to ice damage, and in the Urbana ice-storm survey it posted one of the highest damage rates of any major street-tree species. Its fine, heavily lateral branching catches an enormous ice load relative to its wood volume, so it breaks up in ice far more than its reputation as a bulletproof urban tree suggests.
What pruning can and can't prevent
Prune young and dormant, and the specific job is eliminating codominant stems and included bark, because nursery-grown honeylocust routinely arrives with two or three competing leaders that split apart around year 25. Avoid growing-season cuts on a stressed tree: Thyronectria canker infects through wounds, and cultivar matters — Sunburst is the most susceptible, while Skyline, Imperial, and Shademaster hold up better.
Related
- How much does it cost to remove a honey locust?→
- Should I remove or save my honey locust?→
- When should a honey locust be pruned?→
- Are honey locust roots a problem for foundations or pipes?→
- Is my honey locust dying or just stressed?→
- How much does it cost to remove an american basswood?→
- Should I remove or save my american basswood?→
- When should an american basswood be pruned?→