Scientific name: Robinia pseudoacacia
Family: PAPILIONACEAE
Common names: “Black locust”
Plant Type: Deciduous tree
Conditions:
Zone: 4-9
Light: Full sun – part shade
Exposure: Sheltered
Soil: Any
Moisture: Must have well draining soil, can take drier conditions while established
Aesthetic:
Plant Size: H 30-50′ W 20-35′
Leaf and Stem shape: Pinnate rounded green leaves turn yellow in autumn
Flower: Fragrant pendant racemes of pea-like flowers
Pruning: Tends to bleed in spring, prune in late winter or late summer, will return from a full coppice
Maintenance: Low, easy to grow
Landscape use: Generally not recommended for landscape use, however can be a good choice for difficult areas where nothing else will grow
Propagate: By seed and suckers
Pests & Disease: Problems include die-back, root rot, Armillaria “honey fungus” , and Phytophthora root rot , susceptible to locust borer, saw fly, scale insects, caterpillars and weevils
*Flowers attract bees
Comments: On some invasive species lists, nitrogen fixer, considered weedy
Cultivars: R. p. ‘Twisty Baby’ – smaller with twisted branches leaves and flowers
Vancouver Island Grows 