Robinia pseudoacacia Seeds | Black Locust Tree
LATIN NAME: Robinia pseudoacacia
COMMON NAME: Black Locust, False Acacia, Robinia
Plant Profile
Among the ornamental and useful plants raised from seed, Black Locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) stands out as a fast-growing, deciduous tree in the pea family, native to warm regions of the southeastern united states, while it has been introduced widely across warm and temperate regions. At maturity it stands about Twenty-five metres. Not many plants ask so little and repay so much.
Science & Biotechnology
Like other members of the pea family, Robinia pseudoacacia draws steady attention from botanists and plant breeders, who value the genus both as a subject of research and as a source of garden-worthy material. Black locust has a real and distinguished place in research. For practical purposes the message is encouraging: generations of cultivation have produced plants of predictable, well-mannered garden character.
Uses & Benefits
Black Locust works well in borders, containers and dedicated beds. Black locust is a fast-growing, thorny tree of open woodlands and roadsides, bearing long, drooping clusters of fragrant, white flowers in late spring. Its fragrant flowers feed bees and produce a fine, light honey, and its hard, durable wood has been used for fence posts and furniture, while its nitrogen-fixing roots enrich poor soil. To raise black locust, sow seeds in pots of moist, open soil in a sunny, warm place, keep them gently watered, and grow little trees on in the sun. It establishes readily and then requires nothing out of the ordinary.
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
Sow fresh seed of Black Locust under ordinary good conditions. Sow thinly on the surface of a loose, well-drained seed compost, cover lightly, water in gently and keep the tray in a sunny spot with even moisture. Once the seedlings have made true leaves, pot them on individually and plant out when they are sturdy and conditions are right.
Our Take
Black Locust repays a little patience at sowing time with plenty of garden presence later.
Related Reading
Gardeners who grow Black Locust often pair it with these related subjects: