Allotments 4 All

I have a Robinia Pseudoacacia Frizia ie the yellow leaved on, or at least I did have one.  For more that 25 years it has been lovely.  But it has suddenly died.  It currently has about 12 small leaves on one branch and the rest have gone brittle.  Two years ago it was particularly lovely and had loads of flowers.

Can anyone suggest why it has died?  Did the long winter kill it.  It has managed to survive -16 in the past.   It has shown no signs of problems so its death is something of a surprise.

I fancy getting a pink flowered one but before I splash out I want to know why this one has given up the ghost.

I have also lost a crab apple.  But it has been suffering for some time.   Also lost a Norwegian Maple a couple of years ago.  Are these connected?

There is a problem with robinias which is gradually killing them all.

See here for what the RHS has to say about the possible causes - http://apps.rhs.org.uk/advicesearch/profile.aspx?pid=401

Many thanks.  I have been googling it now and it seems it is a national problem.  It was fine last year.  Once before part of it died off.    But it recovered and has been ok since.   If I remember we had a very late frost that year as well.   Its leaves opened and we got a hard frost.   All the branches affect promptly died.

It always looked as if the sun was shining.  I will miss it.  Maybe it will survive after all it does have 12 leaves.

The pink flowered ones are stunning and seem to be a much smaller tree. 

It seems only this one particular variety is dieing.

Mine was planted in 2002 and did really well but has been failing for 3 years and this year has just one tiny leaf shooting high up on the trunk so it's on OH's list to cut off all the branches before they snap off in a strong wind.   The wood is brittle even when it's healthy and I don't want it falling on treasures below.

Then I'll have to decide if the whole trunk comes out or maybe gets bird boxes or gets cut to a height to display a sculpture or a pot.  I have found a baby robinia growing in teh next border and will pot that up and move it around till I see how healthy it is.

Depending on what size and shape you're after, you could get a similar golden sunshine effect from a golden sambucus shrub which can get quite large and they don't ming having their canopy lifted or a gleditsia which will become a small tree with golden foliage.

Sorry you have lost it Digeroo, it's a lovely tree. We tried once and lost it, it's the only tree that OH actually coments on!