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Robinia pseudoacacia

Common name: Black Locust Family: Leguminosae
Author: L. Botanical references: 11, 43, 200
Synonyms:  
Known Hazards: All parts of the plant (except the flowers) and especially the bark, should be considered to be toxic[4, 65, 76]. The toxins are destroyed by heat[65].
Range: Eastern N. America - Appalachian and Ozark mountain ranges. Naturalized in Britain[17].
Habitat: Woods and thickets[43], especially in deep well-drained calcareous soils[149].
Edibility Rating (1-5): 3Medicinal Rating (1-5):2

Other Possible Synonyms:From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below.
R. pseudacacia[H,L] R. pseudo-acacia[E] R. pseudoacacia f. erecta[G] R. pseudoacacia f. inermis[G] R. pseudoacacia f. microphylla[G] R. pseudoacacia f. pyramidalis[G] R. pseudoacacia f. rehderi[G] R. pseudoacacia f. rozynskiana[G] R. pseudoacacia f. semperflorens[G] R. pseudoacacia var. microphylla[G] R. pseudoacacia var. pyramidalis[G] R. pseudoacacia var. rectissima[B,P] R. pseudoacacia var. rozynskiana[G] R. pseudoacacia var. semperflorens[G]
Other Common Names:From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
Akasya [E], Al Sant Al Kathib [E], Black Locust [FEIS,P,DEN1,E,B,L,H], Common Locust [L], False Acacia [H,L], Locust Tree [H], Robinia [D], Salgim Chichekli Aghaji [E],
Systematics:From a USDA Plants Database
Order: Fabales. Renamed to Fabaceae -- Pea family
Other Range Info: From the Ethnobotany Database
Iraq; Turkey; Us
Noxious, Invasive and Injurious WeedsFrom USDA PLANTS database, Weeds Australia , DEFRA Injurious Weeds
Listed as noxious/invasive for: USA Invasive.

Physical Characteristics

A decidious tree growing to 25m by 15m at a fast rate. It is hardy to zone 3. It is in flower in June, and the seeds ripen from November to March. The scented flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees. It can fix Nitrogen. It is noted for attracting wildlife. We rate it 3/5 for edibility and 2/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, requires well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought. It can tolerate atmospheric pollution.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Woodland, Canopy.

Edible Uses

Condiment; Drink; Flowers; Oil; Seed; Seedpod.

Seed - cooked[2, 55, 61]. Oily[161]. They are boiled and used like peas[183]. After boiling the seeds lose their acid taste[213]. The seed is about 4mm long and is produced in pods up to 10cm long that contain 4 - 8 seeds[82]. A nutritional analysis is available[218].
Young seedpods - cooked[105]. The pods contain a sweetish pulp that is safe to eat and is relished by small children[201].(This report is quite probably mistaken, having been confused with the honey locust, Gleditsia spp[K].)
A strong, narcotic and intoxicating drink is made from the skin of the fruit[13].
Piperonal is extracted from the plant, it is used as a vanilla substitute[105]. No further details.
All the above entries should be treated with some caution, see the notes at the top of the page regarding toxicity.
Flowers - cooked. A fragrant aroma, they are used in making jams and pancakes[7, 183]. They can also be made into a pleasant drink[183].

Composition

Seed (Dry weight)
In grammes per 100g weight of food:
Protein: 21 Fat: 3 Fibre: 28 Ash: 6.8
In milligrammes per 100g weight of food:
Calcium: 1400 Phosphorus: 0.3
Source: [218, 269]

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

Antispasmodic; Antiviral; Aromatic; Cancer; Cholagogue; Diuretic; Emetic; Emollient; Febrifuge; Laxative; Narcotic; Purgative; Tonic.

Febrifuge[13, 46].
The flowers are antispasmodic, aromatic, diuretic, emollient and laxative[218]. They are cooked and eaten for the treatment of eye ailments[218]. The flower is said to contain the antitumor compound benzoaldehyde[269].
The inner bark and the root bark are emetic, purgative and tonic[4, 7, 218, 257]. The root bark has been chewed to induce vomiting, or held in the mouth to allay toothache[222, 257], though it is rarely if ever prescribed as a therapeutic agent in Britain[4].
The fruit is narcotic[13]. This probably refers to the seedpod.
The leaves are cholagogue and emetic[7]. The leaf juice inhibits viruses[218].

Other Uses

Dye; Essential; Fibre; Fuel; Soil stabilization; Wood.

A drying oil is obtained from the seed[2, 7].
An essential oil is obtained from the flowers. Highly valued, it is used in perfumery[7, 57, 100].
A yellow dye is obtained from the bark[223]. Robinetin is a strong dyestuff yielding with different mordants different shades similar to those obtained with fisetin, quercetin, and myricetin; with aluminum mordant, it dyes cotton to a brown-orange shade[269].
The bark contains tannin, but not in sufficient quantity for utilization[223]. On a 10% moisture basis, the bark contains 7.2% tannin and the heartwood of young trees 5.7%[223].
The bark is used to make paper and is a substitute for silk and wool[13].
Trees sucker freely, especially if coppiced, and they can be used for stabilizing banks etc[200, 226].
Wood - close-grained, exceedingly hard, heavy, very strong, resists shock and is very durable in contact with the soil. It weighs 45lb per cubic foot and is used in shipbuilding and for making fence posts, treenails, floors etc[4, 7, 11, 13, 46, 61, 82, 149, 171, 227]. A very good fuel[82], but it should be used with caution because it flares up and projects sparks[226]. The wood of Robinia pseudoacacia var. rectissima, the so called 'Long Island' or 'Shipmast' locust, has a greater resistance to decay and wood borers, outlasting other locust posts and stakes by 50 - 100%[269].

Cultivation details

Succeeds in any well-drained soil, preferring one that is not too rich[1, 200]. Succeeds in dry barren sites, tolerating drought and atmospheric pollution[60, 200]. Succeeds in a hot dry position. The plant is reported to tolerate an annual precipitation in the range of 61 to 191cm, an annual temperature in the range of 7.6 to 20.3°C and a pH of 6.0 to 7.0[269].
A fast-growing tree for the first 30 years of its life[188, 269], it can begin to flower when only 6 years old, though 10 - 12 years is more normal[229]. The flowers are a rich source of nectar and are very fragrant[82] with a vanilla-like scent[245].
The branches are brittle and very liable to wind damage[200]. When plants are grown in rich soils they produce coarse and rank growth which is even more liable to wind damage[11, 200].
The plants sucker freely and often form dense thickets, the suckers have vicious thorns[226]. There are some named varieties selected for their ornamental value[188], some of these are thornless[226].
Any pruning should be done in late summer in order to reduce the risk of bleeding[200].
The leaves are rich in tannin and other substances which inhibit the growth of other plants[13]. A very greedy tree, tending to impoverish the soil[13]. (Although a legume, I believe it does not fix atmospheric nitrogen[K])
A very good bee plant[7, 13, 20, 201].
This species is notably resistant to honey fungus[88, 200].

Propagation

Seed - pre-soak for 48 hours in warm water and sow the seed in late winter in a cold frame[80]. A short stratification improves germination rates and time[80]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in the following summer. Other reports say that the seed can be sown in an outdoor seedbed in spring[78, 98]. The seed stores for over 10 years[113].
Suckers taken during the dormant season.

Scent

Flowers: Fresh
The flowers are very fragrant with a vanilla-like scent[245].

Cultivars

''
No entries have been made for this species as yet.

Suppliers

Plants For A Future is working with the following groups to try and make these plants easily available. Parts of the proceeds will be donated to   so please mention us when ordering.
Cool Temperate Nurseries
10 Ivy Grove
Nottingham
NG7 7LZ
Email: philcorbett53@hotmail.com
Phone 0115 847 8302 Fax 0115 847 8302
Distribution: UK
How to order: Direct from Cool Temperate by email/phone
Notes: Many Trees supplied on their own rootstock
Last Updated: April 03
Item: Robinia pseudoacacia (Black Locust)

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

PFAF Web Pages

This plant is mentioned in the following web pages

Web References

References for Robinia pseudacacia (a possible synonym).
  • [H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
References for Robinia pseudo-acacia (a possible synonym). References for robinia pseudoacacia (a possible synonym).

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[2] Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972 ISBN 0-486-20459-6
Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.

[4] Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9
Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants.

[7] Chiej. R. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. MacDonald 1984 ISBN 0-356-10541-5
Covers plants growing in Europe. Also gives other interesting information on the plants. Good photographs.

[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.

[13] Triska. Dr. Hamlyn Encyclopaedia of Plants. Hamlyn 1975 ISBN 0-600-33545-3
Very interesting reading, giving some details of plant uses and quite a lot of folk-lore.

[17] Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962
A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.

[20] Riotte. L. Companion Planting for Successful Gardening. Garden Way, Vermont, USA. 1978 ISBN 0-88266-064-0
Fairly good.

[43] Fernald. M. L. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co. 1950
A bit dated but good and concise flora of the eastern part of N. America.

[46] Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.

[55] Harris. B. C. Eat the Weeds. Pivot Health 1973
Interesting reading.

[57] Schery. R. W. Plants for Man.
Fairly readable but not very comprehensive. Deals with plants from around the world.

[60] Hitchcock. C. L. Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press 1955
A standard flora for Western N. America with lots of information on habitat etc. Five large volumes, it is not for the casual reader.

[61] Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974 ISBN 0094579202
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.

[65] Frohne. D. and Pfänder. J. A Colour Atlas of Poisonous Plants. Wolfe 1984 ISBN 0723408394
Brilliant. Goes into technical details but in a very readable way. The best work on the subject that I've come across so far.

[76] Cooper. M. and Johnson. A. Poisonous Plants in Britain and their Effects on Animals and Man. HMSO 1984 ISBN 0112425291
Concentrates mainly on the effects of poisonous plants to livestock.

[78] Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948
A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.

[80] McMillan-Browse. P. Hardy Woody Plants from Seed. Grower Books 1985 ISBN 0-901361-21-6
Does not deal with many species but it is very comprehensive on those that it does cover. Not for casual reading.

[82] Sargent. C. S. Manual of the Trees of N. America. Dover Publications Inc. New York. 1965 ISBN 0-486-20278-X
Two volumes, a comprehensive listing of N. American trees though a bit out of date now. Good details on habitats, some details on plant uses. Not really for the casual reader.

[88] RHS. The Garden. Volume 112. Royal Horticultural Society 1987
Snippets of information from the magazine of the RHS. In particular, there are articles on plants that are resistant to honey fungus, oriental vegetables, Cimicifuga spp, Passiflora species and Cucurbits.

[98] Gordon. A. G. and Rowe. D. C. f. Seed Manual for Ornamental Trees and Shrubs.
Very comprehensive guide to growing trees and shrubs from seed. Not for the casual reader.

[100] Polunin. O. Flowers of Europe - A Field Guide. Oxford University Press 1969 ISBN 0192176218
An excellent and well illustrated pocket guide for those with very large pockets. Also gives some details on plant uses.

[105] Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976
The most comprehensive guide to edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.

[113] Dirr. M. A. and Heuser. M. W. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. Athens Ga. Varsity Press 1987 ISBN 0942375009
A very detailed book on propagating trees. Not for the casual reader.

[149] Vines. R. A. Trees of Central Texas. University of Texas Press 1987 ISBN 0-292-78958-3
Fairly readable, it gives details of habitats and some of the uses of trees growing in Texas.

[161] Yanovsky. E. Food Plants of the N. American Indians. Publication no. 237. U.S. Depf of Agriculture.
A comprehensive but very terse guide. Not for the casual reader.

[171] Hill. A. F. Economic Botany. The Maple Press 1952
Not very comprehensive, but it is quite readable and goes into some a bit of detail about the plants it does cover.

[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.

[188] Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990 ISBN 0-86318-386-7
Excellent range of photographs, some cultivation details but very little information on plant uses.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[201] Allardice.P. A - Z of Companion Planting. Cassell Publishers Ltd. 1993 ISBN 0-304-34324-2
A well produced and very readable book.

[213] Weiner. M. A. Earth Medicine, Earth Food. Ballantine Books 1980 ISBN 0-449-90589-6
A nice book to read though it is difficult to look up individual plants since the book is divided into separate sections dealing with the different medicinal uses plus a section on edible plants. Common names are used instead of botanical.

[218] Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc. 1985 ISBN 0-917256-20-4
Details of over 1,200 medicinal plants of China and brief details of their uses. Often includes an analysis, or at least a list of constituents. Heavy going if you are not into the subject.

[222] Foster. S. & Duke. J. A. A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America. Houghton Mifflin Co. 1990 ISBN 0395467225
A concise book dealing with almost 500 species. A line drawing of each plant is included plus colour photographs of about 100 species. Very good as a field guide, it only gives brief details about the plants medicinal properties.

[223] Rottsieper. E.H.W. Vegetable Tannins The Forestal Land, Timber and Railways Co. Ltd. 1946
A fairly detailed treatise on the major sources of vegetable tannins.

[226] Lauriault. J. Identification Guide to the Trees of Canada Fitzhenry and Whiteside, Ontario. 1989 ISBN 0889025649
Very good on identification for non-experts, the book also has a lot of information on plant uses.

[227] Vines. R.A. Trees of North Texas University of Texas Press. 1982 ISBN 0292780206
A readable guide to the area, it contains descriptions of the plants and their habitats with quite a bit of information on plant uses.

[229] Elias. T. The Complete Trees of N. America. Field Guide and Natural History. Van Nostrand Reinhold Co. 1980 ISBN 0442238622
A very good concise guide. Gives habitats, good descriptions, maps showing distribution and a few of the uses. It also includes the many shrubs that occasionally reach tree proportions.

[245] Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8
An excellent, comprehensive book on scented plants giving a few other plant uses and brief cultivation details. There are no illustrations.

[257] Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998 ISBN 0-88192-453-9
Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.

[269] Duke. J. Handbook of Energy Crops - 1983
Published only on the Internet, excellent information on a wide range of plants.

Readers Comments

Robinia pseudoacacia

Klaus Dichtel (klaussss@web.de) Tue Dec 25 17:22:37 2001

I wonder how Ken comes to believe it doesn`t fix atmospheric nitrogen. All other sources are telling the opposite, e.g. Martin Crawford/"Nitrogen-fixing Plants"

Robinia pseudoacacia

Klaus Dichtel (klaussss@web.de) Sat Jan 5 21:26:03 2002

In the german PC-mailinglist, Jürgen Wahl (j.orca@t-online.de) says that he saw nodulatet roots and N-loving plants nearby such as utrica ssp., galium aparine and sambucus nigra. Here his original message:"...Bis jetzt hatte jede Robinie der ich an die Wurzeln gegangen bin Knöllchen _die sind bei allenLeguminosen ort derSymbiose die N aus der Luft bindet. Fernerhabe ich bis heute in jedem Robiniengehölz eine N-liebende Begleitflora gefunden(Brennnessel,Klettenlabkraut,Hollunderetc.)..."

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Bibliography

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