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Trees & Shrubs - Australia
freo_leah

Robinia 'Moptop'

freo_leah
18 years ago

hi all,

we've got a moptop robinia located about 1- 1.5 metres from the house foundation. a nursery worker has put the fear of total house destruction and suckers coming up dozens of metres from the parent plant if we disturbed the soil around this tree, that if we stop watering it the roots will seek out water where it finds it (i.e. the sewerage pipes under the foundation) and recommends we poison it and remove it ASAP. She said it was only a matter of time before this tree was declared a noxious weed here in Western Australia!

I'm really interested in others' opinions and experiences about this. Is there reason for us to worry? Are the roots invasive to the house foundations?

thanks very much!

Comments (2)

  • meggs
    18 years ago

    Hi Leah,

    I have a pink flowering robinia (it is grafted on the same rootstock as your mop top and in their natural environment they grow in thickets)... it was planted 13 years ago, now forms a handsome tree. It is planted about 20m away from the house. However IT DOES SUCKER... not in my garden but I have noticed the new shoots comming up in the neighbours' gardens. I do not know whether it poses such a danger to the house foundations as described but 1-1.5m from the house is a bit close. If you decide to remove it I am afraid you will have to poison it as the left over roots will sucker madly.

  • freo_leah
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    thanks Meggs I appreciate your post and advice (and being a newbie I appreciate KNOWING someone out there read the post!)
    best
    L

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