Black Locust - Robinia pseudoacacia
Description of Plant
Leaf: Pinnately compound, paired, except at end. Leaves are 1-2 inches in length. Leaves are dark on the top and hairless and pale underneath.
Flower: Very fragrant, pea shaped with five unequal white petals, 19mm in length. Flowers present in late spring.
Fruit: Narrowly oblong flat pod in dark brown that matures in the fall. The pod remains attached in the winter and splits open containing 3-14 dark brown flattened beanlike seeds.
Twig: Dark brown with stout paired spines 6-12mm long at nodes.
Bark: Dark brown that is deeply furrowed into long rough ridges.
Form: Medium sized tree with a forking trunk and an open crown of upright branches.
Discussion of the Plant
The Black Locust is a nitrogen-fixing legume which can be found in North America, Europe, and Asia. It grows very rapidly, survives droughts and severe winters, and tolerates infertile and acidic soils. The lumber is one of the heaviest and hardest in North America. The wood is suitable for chemical pulping systems in the paper industry. The Black Locust is widely used for erosion control and reforestation.
Copyright
© Sue Grabowski, Gail Slowinski, Carl Schurz High School 2003
References
Coombes, Allen, J, Smithsonian Handbook of Trees, Dorling Kindersley, London, 2002.
Little, Elbert, L., Field Guide to Trees, Alfred A. Knopf, New York. 1980.
Symonds, George, W.D., The Tree Identification Book, Quill Publishing, New York, N.Y. 1958.
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