Is this vine meant to be wrapped around my tree?

[NickyW]

Hi all. I've not long moved into a house with a Japanese looking tree on a sharp slope, near a wooden fence.

I notice that there's a really thick vine/climber (not sure what it is) weaving in and out parts of the trellis, before wrapping itself around the branches of the tree as it climbs up. I've posted a couple of photos below.

Do you think this is intentional (e.g. it was introduced to add some additional support for the tree ?) Or is this some kind of weed that's gradually going to strangle the tree (not to mention break the trellis!)?

The vine is thick and quite hard, almost like a branch itself.

Thanks!

 

[Marck]

The vine looks like Japanese Honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) and the tree appears to be Black-locust (Robinia pseudoacacia).
If possible post close-up photos of the leaves and flowers of both. the flowers may not appear until late Spring.

Can such a vigorous vine damage or shade out a tree? Yes, sometimes. Other times an equilibrium is reached where both plants can thrive indefinitely. Pruning back the Honeysuckle to keep it more in bounds can help. The best time to do major pruning is immediately after flowering, though pruning off occasional stray branches and other such corrections can be done anytime.

 

[NickyW]

The vine looks like Japanese Honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) and the tree appears to be Black-locust (Robinia pseudoacacia).
If possible post close-up photos of the leaves and flowers of both. the flowers may not appear until late Spring.

Can such a vigorous vine damage or shade out a tree? Yes, sometimes. Other times an equilibrium is reached where both plants can thrive indefinitely. Pruning back the Honeysuckle to keep it more in bounds can help. The best time to do major pruning is immediately after flowering, though pruning off occasional stray branches and other such corrections can be done anytime.

Interesting. Here are some photos of the tree in leaf from last spring (I was here then). I've not seen it come out in flower. Just lots of really tightly-bunched together bright green leaves, almost in clumps. The overall shape of the tree looks kind of Bonsai-ish to my untrained eye!

 

[DrCase]

Let It be . It looks good

 

[Marck]

You have a contorted-leaf cultivar of Black-locust. There is a popular dwarf cultivar called Robinia pseudoacacia 'Lace Lady', which is often sold by the trade name of Twisty Baby™. However, your tree seems large for that cultivar, and is more likely Robinia pseudoacacia 'Tortuosa'.

 

[NickyW]

You have a contorted-leaf cultivar of Black-locust. There is a popular dwarf cultivar called Robinia pseudoacacia 'Lace Lady', which is often sold by the trade name of Twisty Baby™. However, your tree seems large for that cultivar, and is more likely Robinia pseudoacacia 'Tortuosa'.

That's interesting, thanks! It certainly is a large tall tree for the garden. It didn't flower at all last spring and the neighbours have said they've never seen it flower. On the other hand, the twisted branches and brittle bark would seem to match what you've suggested.

 

[cntrlwagdnr]

The vine does not appear to be tightly strangling the tree - like wisteria would for example. So it's probably fine. Maybe a good feeding would help the blooming situation? Big trees can take a lot out of the soil.

 

[Marck]

The contorted variety of Black-locust is often a sparse bloomer. Perhaps a small number of white flowers up in the tree among the leaves has not been noticed in the past. I don't think the tree is in need of fertilizer. Anyway, it is good to remember that Robinia pseudoacacia is a Nitrogen-fixing legume.

 

[cntrlwagdnr]

By the way, for those who don't know. Wisteria is beautiful, but very vigorous and needs a lot of pruning. It twines tightly round anything and will eventually crush wooden posts, trellises, fences etc. It can even destroy brick pillars. There is a winery near us with a gorgeous wisteria "tunnel" leading up to it. They had to build a heavy welded steel support structure. It puts out underground runners, so it's best to contain it with a barrier. It is also toxic, especially the big attractive looking seed pods that looks like beans, so not great around young children or pets. We don't have kids or outdoor pets, but we still remove and destroy the pods - you don't want them seeding anyway!

 

[Marck]

Any vigorous vine will need some pruning and training. If a robust vine such as Japanese Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens) or a Wisteria sp. Has become overly rampant. A hard pruning can be a great rejuvenator. Generally it is best to cut back to main scaffold branches that you wish to keep, but cutting back to ground level may be the best option is some situations.

To repeat what I said earlier, such vigorous vines can injure or kill a small tree, or even a larger one, but with proper pruning and training that don't necessarily happen.