Robinia hispida Seeds | Pink Locust Tree
LATIN NAME: Robinia hispida
COMMON NAME: Pink Locust Tree
Plant Profile
Robinia hispida, commonly known as Pink Locust Tree, is a tree in the pea family (Fabaceae). It grows quickly into open, suckering form, and it stands cold winters and poor soils well. It likes sun, and light, well-drained soil. These traits together are what have kept the plant in gardens for so long.
Science & Biotechnology
Robinia hispida sits in the Pea family, a group that keeps botanists, horticulturists and plant breeders busy with questions of classification, adaptation and ornamental potential. Pink locust tree is part of bedrock of studies on suckering ornamental legumes, and hispida species appears in work on the bristly-stemmed Robinia forms and fragrant spring racemes. Raising it from seed today is a matter of ordinary good practice rather than specialist skill.
Uses & Benefits
Gardeners value Pink Locust Tree for its ornamental character, and the plant also fits naturally into herb, vegetable and cutting gardens. By orchard wall, pink locust tree hangs rose racemes through late spring. Scented flowers feed bees, suckering roots hold banks, and tree makes fine specimen, bank stabiliser and fragrant ornamental. It settles into light, well-drained, sunny ground. Once settled, it thrives on neglect more than on fussing.
Black locust flowers are fragrant and edible in fritters and teas where tradition knows them, and the wood is among the most durable on Earth; bark and seeds are toxic, so the flowers alone are the treat.
Growing from Seed
Pink Locust Tree is one of those generous plants that come along well from seed. Fill a pot with a light seed compost, sow evenly on the surface, cover thinly and stand it somewhere warm, bright and evenly moist. Pot the young plants on as they grow, harden them off gradually, and plant them into their final positions when sturdy.
Our Take
Once established, Pink Locust Tree largely looks after itself. Sun and good drainage cover most of its demands.
Related Reading
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