Why Plant Sunburst® Honeylocust?
Sunburst® Honeylocust cheerfully shouts, “Hello, Spring!” with its glorious glowing yellow foliage. As summer heats up, it settles down to a pretty pea pod color, only to trade green leaves for gold again in fall. This special version of our native Honeylocust tree casts a dappled shade that’s just right for reading a book or sharing an outdoor meal with family or friends. Sunburst is a waterwise, low-maintenance tree that won’t hog your time or resources. Even fall cleanup is a piece of cake! The tiny leaflets mostly blow away, and the leaf stems that remain can be gathered up or left in place to decompose naturally.
Standing 150 feet from Abraham Lincoln while he delivered the Gettysburg Address at the dedication of the Soldiers’ National Cemetery, stands a lone Honey Locust tree referred to as the “witness tree”. Quietly listening after witnessing one of the worst battles in US history right beneath its feet where thousands of American soldiers lost their lives. This 160 year old veteran has lived longer than its 100 year expectancy and still stands alongside the Gettysburg National Cemetery today. Over the years saplings and seeds from this historic tree have been sold for fundraisers spreading some 1,600 descendants of the “witness tree” throughout the eastern United States.
How to use Sunburst® Honeylocust in the landscape?
Just like a burst of sunshine! This Honeylocust glows with golden new growth in spring. As the season progresses the golden glow turns to a bright green. Sunburst Honeylocusts are the most popular golden-leafed shade trees. Why? Because they're thornless AND seedless, drought tolerant, an excellent choice for a street tree as well as a specimen in your yard, and because the textured foliage offers you filtered shade while supplying your lawn with some sunshine! They sound like some pretty darn good reasons to me!
Planting Zones
Hardiness Zone: 4-8
How To Plant Sunburst® Honeylocust
Honeylocusts are the street trees of choice! You’ll see them along city streets, even in planting beds scattered throughout the parking lot at malls and grocery stores. One reason they make great street trees is because they can tolerate salt, so they can stand up to the salt truck spreading salt all over the road in wintertime. They are fast growers that prefer full sun and will tolerate a range of soil conditions, however, they don’t do well in consistently wet soils. Honeylocusts are susceptible to some pests: leafhopper and fall webworm, for example. Consult with your local Garden Center professional to find out how to treat these pests if you have a severe problem. If you only have a small pest problem, chances are if you leave it alone, your tree will grow back fine the next growing season.
How To Water
When you first plant your Sunburst® Honeylocust, you should water it deeply and thoroughly. For the first growing season, it's best to water at least once a week, if not more during times of high heat.
How To Fertilize
It is beneficial to fertilize your Honeylocust for the first few years that it graces your landscape. About once a year, in the fall, give your tree a dose of medium rate fertilizer; this gives your tree the essential nutrients it needs to provide healthy new growth for the following spring season.
How To Prune
Honeylocusts occasionally sprout suckers, when suckers appear be sure to prune them off. Not only are they unsightly, they also steal valuable energy from the rest of the tree. You'll want to prune your Honeylocust in spring. Mature Honeylocusts will need little pruning!
How Does Shipping Work?
Bower & Branch Trees, the real BIG trees, don’t fit in a box! Our big trees, sizes XL and bigger, require expert delivery and care, that means our extra-large trees are shipped on Bower & Branch trucks. We are the only ones who know how to ship our big and bigger trees and plants with tender loving care. We deliver your trees and plants directly to you. Ask Bower & Branch about planting services – we'd be happy to assist in installation.
*For Big trees and Shrubs, Size XL and bigger: Review our Seasonal Shipping Timelines and Policy here.
Your trees and plants are grown across the United States at various Bower & Branch Growers. Depending on your location, your plant orders may be shipped from various locations. Please expect orders with multiple items to be delivered over a number of days as a result. Orders made up of numerous items or selections will not arrive at your home on the same day.
Shipping Delays:
From time to time, Bower & Branch Growers may determine to delay order shipment based on various factors for plant health. Weather in your region, as well as, where your plants are grown, is always considered when shipping. Extreme weather conditions may delay some or all of your order. Bower & Branch allows our Growers to make final shipping decisions based solely to benefit your trees and plants’ health and success.
How Does Sizing Work?
The size of our trees have nothing to do with the container size like you may find elsewhere–big doesn't mean just height - it’s also vigor, age, and overall health. Other online retailers are going to tell you that a plant is a seven gallon, that means nothing to your tree or plant (or you.)
Our trees for sale online are graded on large, x-large, and even bigger sizes. This is because our trees are sized by their age—the higher the letter, the more mature the tree. The age determines the trees’ overall height, size of the trunk and the overall branch density.
All of these characteristics are what you should be looking for when choosing a tree for immediate impact and instant curb appeal. Our extra-large tree and plant sizes are sure to wow you and your neighbors!
See the size guides below.
