![]() Their color is of a dark purple and they adhere only to the bark. 65–2 centimetres ( 1⁄ 4– 3⁄ 4 inch) in length and are somewhat triangular with a flared base and sharp point. They develop from stipules (small leaf-like structures that grow at the base of leaves), and since stipules are paired at the base of leaves, the spines will be paired at the bases of leaves. The spines typically remain on the tree until the young thin bark to which they are attached is replaced by the thicker mature bark. pseudoacacia is quite variable in the number of spines present, as some trees are densely prickly and other trees have no prickles at all. Spines may or may not be present on young trees, root suckers, and branches near the ground typically, branches high above the ground rarely contain spines.When young, they are at first coated with white silvery down this soon disappears, and they become pale green and afterward reddish or greenish brown. The branches are typically zig-zaggy and may have ridges and grooves or may be round.The roots of black locust contain nodules that allow it to fix nitrogen, as is common within the pea family.It is deeply furrowed into grooves and ridges which run up and down the trunk and often cross and form diamond shapes. The bark is a reddish black and gray and tinged with red or orange in the grooves.It may resemble Styphnolobium japonicum, which has smaller flower spikes and lacks spines.ĭetailed description One black locust leaf showing 13 leaflets The leaflets fold together in wet weather and at night ( nyctinasty), as some change of position at night is a habit of the entire leguminous family.Īlthough similar in general appearance to the honey locust, the black locust lacks that tree's characteristic long branched thorns on the trunk, having instead pairs of short prickles at the base of each leaf the leaflets are also much broader than honey locust. In the early summer black locust flowers the flowers are large and appear in large, intensely fragrant clusters reminiscent of orange blossoms. ![]() Young trees are often spiny, but mature trees often lack spines. It also spreads by underground shoots or suckers, which contributes to the weedy character of this species. In this sense, black locust can be considered a weed tree. īlack locust is a shade-intolerant species and therefore is typical of young woodlands and disturbed areas where sunlight is plentiful and the soil is dry. The dark blue-green compound leaves with a contrasting lighter underside give this tree a beautiful appearance in the wind and contribute to its grace. It is a very upright tree with a straight trunk and narrow crown that grows scraggly with age. Another common name is false acacia, a literal translation of the specific name ( pseudo meaning fake or false and acacia referring to the genus of plants with the same name).īlack locust reaches a typical height of 12–30 metres (40–100 feet) with a diameter of 0.61–1.22 m (2–4 ft). It is native to a few small areas of the United States, but it has been widely planted and naturalized elsewhere in temperate North America, Europe, Southern Africa and Asia and is considered an invasive species in some areas. Robinia pseudoacacia, commonly known in its native territory as black locust, is a medium-sized hardwood deciduous tree, belonging to the tribe Robinieae of the legume family Fabaceae.
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