Start growing
Extremely fast. Tolerates poor, dry soil. Full sun required.
GROW SOMETHING WONDERFUL
Black Locust
Robinia pseudoacacia
Your guide to planting, growing, and getting to know this plant.
THE PLANT NOTEBOOK
Black Locust care, from seed onward.
- Botanical name
- Robinia pseudoacacia
- Common names
- False Acacia
- Family
- Fabaceae
- Genus
- Robinia
- Species
- R. pseudoacacia
Growing with your kit
Seeds have a very hard coat. Seeds In A Cup® recommends the scarification methodology (sandpaper rub) before planting.
Propagation
By seed or root cuttings.
Seasonal growth & harvest
Blooms spectacularly in late spring; fixes significant nitrogen in the soil.
Growing conditions
Disturbed soils, dry hillsides, and forest edges.
Weather & tolerances
Highly drought and road salt tolerant.
Pests & plant health
Locust borer and locust leafminer.
Plant safety
Bark and seeds are toxic to livestock; flowers are edible for humans.
Botanical features
A fast-growing deciduous tree with pinnate leaves, thorns on young branches, and fragrant white pea-like flowers.
Varieties
‘Frisia’ (Golden leaves), ‘Purple Robe’.
Garden & everyday uses
Timber is rot-resistant (fence posts, ship hulls). Flowers produce world-famous Acacia honey
Native range & distribution
Endemic to the Appalachian mountains; globally widespread.
Conservation
Secure; considered invasive in some non-native ranges.
Name origins
Named after Jean Robin, herbalist to French kings.
History
Crucial to American pioneers for building fence posts that lasted decades longer than other woods.
Grow black locust in a cup.
Tree Seed Starter Kit
Black Locust Tree Seed Starter Grow Kit
USD 14.99
Currently unavailable
Robinia pseudoacacia
7-21 daysView kit →