Black Locust
Robinia pseudoacacia
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Black Locust
Details:
Plant Facts Mature Height | 70 - 80 feet | Mature Spread | 25 - 30 feet | Soil Type | Widely Adaptable | Moisture | Widely Adaptable | Mature Form | Upright | Growth Rate | Rapid | Sun Exposure | Full Sun - Partial Sun | Flower Color | White, Fragrant | Fall Color | Yellow | Foliage Color | Green | | 4-9 |
The Black Locust tree, Robinia pseudoacacia, is sometimes called the yellow locust. Black Locust trees grow naturally on a wide range of sites but does best on rich moist limestone soils. It has escaped cultivation and become naturalized throughout eastern North America and parts of the West. Black locust is not a commercial timber species but is useful for many other purposes.This deciduous tree is a nitrogen fixer and has rapid juvenile growth. It is widely planted as an ornamental, for shelterbelts, and for land reclamation. This fast growing Locust tree is suitable for fuel wood and pulp and provides cover for wildlife, browse for deer, and cavities for birds. It is a very thorny tree which can attain a height of 70-80 feet and can have a diameter of 2-3 feet. The flowers are white, fragrant, and hang in clusters. The individual leaves are small and egg-shaped.
Reviews:
My How You've Grown!, 10/30/2006 5:14:18 PM
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Reviewer: Dobie Gillis
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If you’re looking for a type of fast growing tree, this could be your answer. What started out as just a small twig in the back yard is now, 5 years later, over 24 feet tall!
I found that pruning the lower branches created a nice topiary style effect but one still needs to pay attention to this sometimes unwelcome guest as it can get a bit out of hand! Be careful of those obnoxious thorns though…they can really be a pain in the…let’s just say they can really be pain! Good thick gloves can help eliminate the need for tweezers, a magnifying glass and a supply of band aids. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve never been sorry that I didn’t yank the thing out when it first arrived. I just thought as long as we’re sharing information, I shouldn’t be selfish and keep this to myself!
I’ve noticed that it seems to do better in older type soils, in older neighborhoods or yards then in newer residential additions or projects! I suppose the newer and younger soil and lack of fertilizers, foods and other nutrients yet to be introduced has a lot to do with it…but all in good time I imagine. It does suck up the water around the base, so expect your grass or lawn to be a bit less full or dense under the tree.
If you have any type of patio, sidewalks, blacktop or cement driveways or brick areas near by, these leaves are extremely slippery when they begin to fall and get wet! Get used to sweeping them out of danger’s way!
It’s a great shade tree and I have a lot more birds in my yard then ever before! As I said above, I’ve never been sorry that I didn’t remove that little twig when it first arrived…I just wish I had known a bit more about it’s behavior! It didn’t come with any instructions…it was free, and I’ve been known to be a cheap S.O.B. at times! But hey, a free, 24 foot shade tree in just five years…who can argue with that!
And now, I’ll shut up and let you get to your own gardening!
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Worst weed in the yard, 6/24/2007 4:53:28 PM
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Reviewer: fyreman235
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I have a beautiful black locust that provides summer shade to the house. I have no choice to keep it, because I have no other source of shade. Now for the bad news. I have thousands of black locusts in my yard, the neighbors yards, and all of my flower gardens. They spread through the root system to the point of making them a real pest. My best solution is to dig down where I can trace a row of shoots, cut the main root, and use 2-4-d on the shoots. Of course, eventually the cut root will regrow and I have to do the same thing all over again. I will take dandelions, clover, poison ivy, almost anything instead of those ubiquidous locust shoots.
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Mixed blessing, 1/10/2008 12:28:24 PM
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Reviewer: cooke
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Years ago, my father planted black locusts to provide fence posts for his farm. By the time the trees were big enough, he had retired. This left the property at the mercy of the fast growing, fast spreading trees. When I initially inherited the property I was not pleased with the ever-spreading, thorny black locusts. Over time I began to appreciate the welcome shade and low maintenance of these trees. I cannot possibly my groom 4 to 5 acres of lawn closely. With rising gas prices, I cant afford to mow it too often either. The locusts keep the grass shorter and fill in space. Under one tree a collection of hosta are thriving. The free seedlings that pop up by the dozen every year (both from shoots and seeds) can be transplanted to my vacant fields for soil conservation and critter cover. Recently, my husband installed a wood burning heating system for our home. The mature locusts will provide logs for many seasons. And I use the branches that frequently land in the yard for tinder. It is not my experience that the locusts impede other plants -- too much. I have read that they are beneficial to revitalizing soil. With 16 acres of clay base land, it is great to have a plant that has potential in so many directions. The most amazing thing I have found about black locust is that they can co-habit with black walnuts. It is the grove of black walnuts I also inherited that give me the most yardwork headaches. Yes, black locusts are thorny and they spread like dandelions, but they are graceful to look at and fast-growing. They can thrive under adverse conditions while providing environmental benefits.
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