Botanical Name: Robinia pseudoacacia
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Common Name: Black Locust  
Plant photo of: Robinia pseudoacacia
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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

Tree

 

Height Range

40-60', 60-100'

 

Flower Color

White

 

Flower Season

Spring

 

Leaf Color

Blue Green

 

Bark Color

Grey

 

Fruit Color

Brown

 

Fruit Season

Fall, Persistent

Information by: Stephanie Duer
Photographer: Connon Nursery
  • Description

  • Notes

Black locust is a very fast-growing, deciduous tree, typically 40 to 50 feet tall (though sometimes reaching 70 feet) and nearly as wide. It has pinnately compounded leaves that are a dark, dull blue-green, with leaves dropping in the fall before much color change. Flowers are pendulous, white, and fragrant, and bloom late May to early June. Flowers are followed by flat pods that ripen in fall and persist into winter. Bark is dark grey with deep ridges. Wicked thorns, hard wood, and suckering habit makes the Black Locust a challenging maintenance project and best suited for large, naturalized areas.