Botanical Name: Robinia neomexicana
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Common Name: New Mexico Locust  
Plant photo of: Robinia neomexicana
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Water Saving Tip:

Replace turf with groundcovers, trees, and shrubs. If you have areas where no one uses the grass, patches that do not grow well, or a turf area too small to water without runoff, consider replacing the turf with water-efficient landscaping.

  • Anatomy

  • Culture

  • Design

Plant Type

Shrub

 

Height Range

6-12', 12-25'

 

Flower Color

Pink

 

Flower Season

Summer

 

Leaf Color

Green

 

Bark Color

Brown

 

Fruit Color

Brown

 

Fruit Season

Summer, Fall

Sun

Full

 

Water

Low

 

Growth Rate

Fast, Moderate

 

Soil Type

Sandy, Clay, Loam, Rocky, Unparticular

 

Soil Condition

Average, Rich, Poor, Well-drained, Dry

 

Soil pH

Neutral, Basic

 

Adverse Factors

Attracts Bees, Invasive, Thorns/Spines

Design Styles

Meadow, Ranch, Spanish, Woodland

 

Accenting Features

Fragrance, Showy Flowers

 

Seasonal Interest

Spring

 

Location Uses

Background, Foundation, Walls / Fences

 

Special Uses

Cut Flowers, Erosion Control, Hedge, Screen, Mass Planting, Naturalizing

 

Attracts Wildlife

Birds

Information by: Stephanie Duer
Photographer:

  • Description

  • Notes

New Mexico locust is a deciduous shrub that grows 10 to 15 feet tall and wide, with an upright, rounded vase shape. Its leaves are pinnately compounded, dark green, turning yellow in the fall. Pale to rosy pink flowers appear in long clusters in early summer, followed by pea-like pods. Bark is brown, with reddish-brown thorns. Its suckering habit makes it well suited for large, naturally-styled landscapes and hillsides.
Grow in well drained soil in full sun. In the legume family, it is tolerant of poor soils, fixing nitrogen and improving soil fertility. Adapts to clay or rocky soils. It has a suckering habit, so is effective in controling erosion.