I had one in my previous garden and I loved it - it was a bright golden beacon you could see easily from a distance.

I planted it as a young tree maybe 5' tall to provide screening from my neighbors. It was planted in a semi-shady location at that time but grew quickly to exceed the shade. It was approximately 25' tall after about 10-12 years. It was planted on a low berm of imported, high quality soil and never produced any suckers. Neither has the one in planted at Emery's Garden in Lynnwood. It also was not a heavy bloomer but that may be more of a factor of age. If you've seen the mature ones at Kabota Gardens, you know this can get to be a BIG tree in time.

I planted a purple leaved smoke bush in front of it (perhaps 8' away) and there were an assortment of other smaller shrubs and perennials in the near vicinity. And a few other trees close by as well (all intended to screen my backyard and disguise the neighbors' unsightly old garage immediately behind). The planting was directly across the back garden from the carport and was the first thing I saw when I returned from work each day. It never failed to please me when I drove in to see that stunning floral combination!

I've have one also, as gardengal said they get quite large. Mine has never suckered, the only negative I have is the crows love the brittle branch tips for their nests, what they drop I have to pick up.
Whenever I give directions on how to find our place I say just look for the yellow tree :o). We took a lot of the lower branches off ours and I have a mix of Rhodos and perennials planted around it.

A black locust with yellow leaves. Not a dwarf, not thornless, not less brittle than the typical tree. When grafted on a typical green-leaved rootstock suckers may occur. As with sumac a given planting of black locust may sucker little, if at all or sucker heavily to create a nightmare in a confined or cultivated situation. A friend with a black locust next door has resorted to trenching and root barrier to keep its penetrating suckerous roots out of his beds. Sprouts have appeared on neighboring properties to form their own small groves, including the place on the other side of his back yard from the property with the tree.

The largest one in the row at Kubota Gardens was over 70' tall several years ago. One I spotted in Auburn was measured as being 72' tall in 1992. If still there and the property is still under the same usage, it is possible to drive near the tree for viewing. Look for 625 M St. For full listing see Van Pelt, Champion Trees of Washington State (1996, University of Washington Press).

Thanks for the wonderful feedback ... I'm a little worried about the eventual size, although our house is a single story in an older suburban development, so the yards are not too tiny and a little limbing up should take care of any interference with the roof. I plan on placing the tree about 20-25 feet from the footing of our house and surrounding it with some mid and smaller size shrubs like serviceberry, virburnum and barberry (it will be in a full sun location). I wanted to plant some daylillies about 8-10 feet away, but perhaps that is not such a great idea due to issues with the roots? (I wanted to do something similar to the bed at Bellevue Botanical Garden -- I'll post a photo when I figure out how to do that).

As far as wind goes, it won't be right next to any taller trees, but several of the homes around us (next door and and across the street) have very large evergreen trees that I hope would provide enough of a wind break. We don't live at the top of a large hill or in a location that is especially prone to strong winds, but then again the tree will be basically on its own with the nearest tall trees being about 75-100 feet away. Perhaps you would advise against this location?

I haven't been to the Kubota gardens yet, so I'll have drag the kids out there soon to take a look at the specimins there.

Just another f/u post to bboy -- Thanks for the info on the tree in Auburn. I looked up the address on google maps, and then turned on "street view." I think I see the tree you are talking about -- it certainly is huge, although the picture was taken on a dark, overcast day and is a little blurry, so I can't know for sure that it's the robinia. The one I'm looking at is in a corner near the sidewalk and driveway ...

My inspiriation for the planned plantings underneat the Robinia is the bed underneath the Robinia at Bellevue Botanical Gardens (picture taken May 2009) ...

Robinia pseudoacacia lends itself to pollarding or coppicing quite well, much like you would with a Catalpa or Paulownia. You can use this pruning technique to maintain the tree at a much shorter height, however it will require ongoing maintenance and depending on how tall you desire the tree to be ultimately, it may be more effort and/or expense than you want to pursue.

Fine Gardening magazine had a very good article that discussed this subject several years ago and Robinia 'Frisia' was specifically addressed. And I wouldn't worry too much about underplanting - I had a lot of different plants within the dripline/root system of my 'Frisia' (even a clematis) and they all did fine. Just plant up the area before the tree becomes too mature.

Being a plantaholic my Robinia tree is surrounded by all sorts of things :o). Rhodos, perennials, lilies, clematis, vines and....

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You can see the tree trunk to the left, it's planted between a shed on the left and my lathhouse which you can't see on the right.

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This pic shows the Robinia towering above an Akebia covered arch front left and my lathhouse on the right which is covered with C. Montana wilsonii and some sneaky Akebia vine which I must go pull out pronto. I garden on a average sized city lot, other than removing some of the lower branches the Robinia has been left to its own devices. I think I planted it about 25 years ago. Hope this helps visualize how tall this gorgeous tree grows.

Annette

Thanks everyone -- thanks for the nice pictures Annette. That is a gorgeous tree -- it makes me excited to get mine in the ground! I feel better much better about where I'm placing it and about planting underneath it. I'll post pictures when I get a chance.

For anyone who may be wondering heart-shaped leaves running up stalk at front of flowers in above shot is a Cardiocrinum.

Another picture of my Robinia showing off her color.
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Not the best pic but here's one of the Cardiocrinum blooming, the flower stalks on these get quite tall.

The tree trunk in the picture I posted with the flowers is on the right not the left, changed the picture at the last minute and not the text :o).