My Cart
You have no items in your shopping cart.
Black locust, planting guide and care work
The black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) is a species of honey tree in the Fabaceae family, native to North America. It was introduced to Europe in 1601 by the French royal gardeners Jean Robin and Vespasian Robin, from whom the name of the genus comes. It is a size II tree, which can reach a height of 25-30 m and has a longevity of about 100 years. The bark of the trunk has many cracks, the crown has an irregular shape, and the young branches have thorns.
Robinia pseudoacacia (black locust)
It is the most common Acacia species, adapted to the temperate continental transitioning into an oceanic climate, in some areas, becoming even an invasive species. It has imparipinnate composed leaves, which develop late in May. It blooms after foliation, in May-June and the flowers are white, fragrant, and grow in racemes. The fruits are brown, smooth pods. It has several varieties appreciated for their shape, foliage, and flowers:
- “Pendula” – the branches have a pendant growth;
- “Bessoniana” – the shape of the crown is rounded, and it rarely produces flowers;
- “Tortuosa” – it has spiraled branches;
- “Unifolia” – the leaves are predominantly simple;
- “Frisia” – a small tree with foliage in golden-yellow shades;
- “Semperflorens” – it has two flowering periods: in June and August-September;
- “Decaisneana” – it develops pink flowers and small thorns;
- “Casque Rouge” – it develops reddish flowers.
Robinia viscosa (clammy locust)
It is a species of Acacia native to the southeastern part of North America. Being a size III tree, it can reach a height of 12 m. The species is similar to Robinia pseudoacacia, a distinguishing feature being its pale pink flowers. It has brown branches, with sticky hairs; it rarely has spines.
Sophora japonica (Japanese pagoda tree)
It is a species of Acacia native to China and Korea. It is a size II tree, which can reach a height of 20 m. The leaves are imparipinnate-compound, slightly glossy; they are greenish-gray on the underside. It has yellow flowers, with smaller dimensions than the other species and is arranged in large, straight, upwards-oriented panicles. It blooms in July-August, and the fruits are green pods, which remain attached to the branches until winter.
Laburnum anagyroides (the common laburnum)
It is a native species in the shape of a shrub, which can reach up to 3-5 m in height. It has vigorous branches and trifoliate leaves. The flowers develop in May-June, are yellow, and grow in racemes that are 10-20 cm long.
- Laburnum x watereri – the racemes are long, with fragrant flowers.
- “Vosii” – the racemes can be up to 50 cm long.
Care
Light. Acacia prefers bright places, but it can also withstand partially shaded areas.
Temperature. In general, they are frost-resistant trees, but the species Robinia viscosa, Sophora japonica, and Laburnum anagyroides are more sensitive to very low temperatures compared to Robinia pseudoacacia. Early autumn frosts, glaze, and wind can affect them. Acacias need plenty of warmth during the summer.
Soil. Most acacia species prefer damp, fertile, light soils that drain water well. Robinia viscosa, Laburnum anagyroides, and Robinia pseudoacacia cannot withstand well compact, calcareous soils, compared to Sophora japonica, which prefers this type of soil.
Robinia viscosa is more sensitive to drought, while other species tolerate drier soils and are often used to reforest lands.
Fertilization. To stimulate the rich growth of trees and shrubs, during the vegetative growth period, it is recommended to apply specific fertilizers.
Recommended products
-
You can find products on a different store
Change Store -
You can find products on a different store
Change Store -
You can find products on a different store
Change Store -
You can find products on a different store
Change Store -
You can find products on a different store
Change Store -
You can find products on a different store
Change Store -
You can find products on a different store
Change Store -
You can find products on a different store
Change Store -
You can find products on a different store
Change Store -
You can find products on a different store
Change Store -
You can find products on a different store
Change Store -
You can find products on a different store
Change Store -
You can find products on a different store
Change Store -
You can find products on a different store
Change Store -
You can find products on a different store
Change Store -
You can find products on a different store
Change Store -
You can find products on a different store
Change Store -
You can find products on a different store
Change Store -
You can find products on a different store
Change Store -
You can find products on a different store
Change Store -
You can find products on a different store
Change Store -
You can find products on a different store
Change Store -
You can find products on a different store
Change Store -
You can find products on a different store
Change Store
Read carefully and follow the instructions on the label of each product
Planting
Black locust should be planted in autumn, after the fall of the leaves, or in early spring, before entering the vegetative growth period, when the soil is not frozen and the temperatures exceed 5° C. In exceptional cases, only Robinia pseudoacacia can be planted during the vegetative growth period, only if it has the roots in a substrate and regular watering is ensured after planting.
Propagation
Black locust can be propagated through seeds, grafting, or root suckers.
- seed propagation requires prior treatments that facilitate germination, so it is recommended to be performed only by specialists.
- grafting should be done in spring, by different techniques, depending on the variety of Acacia: field grafting, splice grafting, stem grafting (Tortuosa, Pendula), bark grafting (Unifolia, Semperflorens). Laburnum anagyroides is propagated through T budding, in summer.
- propagation through root suckers must be done in spring, by removing the suckers from the base of the trees.
Recommended products
-
You can find products on a different store
Change Store -
You can find products on a different store
Change Store -
You can find products on a different store
Change Store -
You can find products on a different store
Change Store -
You can find products on a different store
Change Store -
You can find products on a different store
Change Store -
You can find products on a different store
Change Store -
You can find products on a different store
Change Store -
You can find products on a different store
Change Store -
You can find products on a different store
Change Store -
You can find products on a different store
Change Store -
You can find products on a different store
Change Store -
You can find products on a different store
Change Store -
You can find products on a different store
Change Store -
You can find products on a different store
Change Store -
You can find products on a different store
Change Store -
You can find products on a different store
Change Store -
You can find products on a different store
Change Store -
You can find products on a different store
Change Store -
You can find products on a different store
Change Store -
You can find products on a different store
Change Store -
You can find products on a different store
Change Store -
You can find products on a different store
Change Store -
You can find products on a different store
Change Store
Read carefully and follow the instructions on the label of each product
Diseases and pests
Among the diseases that can occur in Acacia trees are silver leaf disease (Chondrostereum purpureum) and Nectria twig blight (Nectria coryli). The silver leaf disease manifests through the silvery, glossy shade of the foliage. Nectria twig blight causes ulcers on the bark of the tree, causing the death of the branch.
In addition:
- Acacias are trees often used in landscaping, in street alignments or as solitary specimens in the garden.
- Sophora japonica is preferred as a honey tree.
- Robinia pseudoacacia has a fast growth, compared to Sophora japonica, which grows slower during the first years.
- like all plants in the Fabaceae family, Acacia roots have symbiotic nodosities with nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
- Laburnum anagyroides contains a toxic alkaloid: cytisine.
Specialist's advice 
