Robinia x margaretta 'Pink Cascade' CASQUE ROUGE black locust
Robinia
Flowering trees are always a highlight in any garden. In the case of this locust, this is doubly true due to the colour and size of its flowers. It is a hybrid of Robinia pseudoacacia and Robinia hispida var. kelsey. From one parent, it inherited the length of its raceme-like flower clusters, and from the other, their striking colour.
Curious about its origins? Buckle up, 'cause this is one wild botanic rollercoaster! The British experts from Kew Gardens believe it to be a spontaneous hybrid discovered as early as 1914 in Durand-Eastman Park in Rochester, New York, USA. It was found by B. H. Slavin, who named the tree Robinia x slavinii. Another record dates back to 1933, when British growers from Hillier Nurseries achieved the same hybrid through planned crossbreeding and named it ‘Hillieri’. Just a year later, the American Princeton Nurseries in New Jersey introduced the same tree under the name Robinia x ambigua Pink Cascade in 1934. And finally – for reasons beyond anyone’s comprehension – it appeared much later in Europe under the French name Casque Rouge. Who would have thought that a single tree could have such an identity crisis? 😄
Casque Rouge locust offers a stunning display of deep pink to fuchsia-purple flowers in mid spring. They are pea-like, formed in 15-20 cm long racemes. You can make the tree flower profusely again in mid summer by pruning it right after the first flowering in early summer. Locust blooms on new wood, too, so you will be able to enjoy its bright pink flowers again on hot summer days.
Pinnate leaves are mid green and continue emerging until autumn. Thanks to its new leaves the plant keeps its fresh looks all season long. The crown is pyramidal, quite regular in shape and light, providing enough filtered sunlight for plants living underneath. The tree seldom exceeds height of 8 meters. Branches are thorny.
Locust needs super-well-drained or dry soil, preferably poor. In wet or boggy soil it will most certainly die. Staking the trunk of a freshly planted tree is necessary for minimum of three years. Annual pruning reduces risk of wind damage. Fully hardy to min. -34°C, possibly more (USDA 4).
Last update 08-12-2008; 27-05-2018; 28-05-2025
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- STANDARD QUALITY - Plants of this group are 1st class quality with number of branches and overall density adequate to their size and age, considering they were container grown.
- DE LUXE QUALITY - This label guarantees a luxurious quality of manually selected plants that, compared to their height and age, are exceptionally dense and beautiful.
- EXTRA - These plants are usually mature and bigger specimens with exceptional overall appearance.
- STANDARD (as described in the plant form) means a tree with a trunk of 190-210 cm and a crown at the top, unless specified differently. The commercial size for trees is their girth measured in the height of 1m from ground.
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