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Robinia pseudoacacia

false acacia

© RHS
Sold by 15 nurseries

  • Other common names false acacia
    common robinia

    bastard acacia
    black locust
    fragrant white locust
    locust
    yellow locust

    see more

  • Family Fabaceae

  • Genus Robinia are vigorous suckering trees and shrubs, sometimes thorny, with pinnate leaves and racemes of pea-type flowers in early summer, sometimes followed by seed pods

  • Details R. pseudoacacia is a fast-growing, spreading tree to 25m tall with deeply furrowed rough bark and spines formed from stipules on twigs and suckers. The dark green leaves comprise 5-11 pairs of oval leaflets. Dense, drooping clusters of slightly scented white flowers, each 15-20mm long and with a yellow blotch at the base of the standard petal, are borne in late spring and summer and are followed in autumn by hairless, linear to oblong pods containing 4-10 seeds

  • Plant range Europe, N America

Characteristics

  • Foliage Deciduous

  • Habit Columnar/Upright

  • Fragrance Flower

  • Toxicity All parts may cause severe discomfort if ingested

  • Hardiness

    Hardiness ratings

    All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

    • H1a - Under glass all year (>15C)
    • H1b - Can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
    • H1c - Can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
    • H2 - Tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
    • H3 - Hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
    • H4 - Hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
    • H5 - Hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
    • H6 - Hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
    • H7 - Hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

    H6

Colour

Sunlight

  • Full Sun

  • Aspect South-facing or West-facing or North-facing or East-facing

  • Exposure Sheltered

Soil

  • Sand

    Sand

  • Clay

    Clay

  • Chalk

    Chalk

  • Loam

    Loam

  • MoistureWell-drained, Moist but well-drained

  • SoilSand, Clay, Chalk, Loam

  • pHAcid, Alkaline, Neutral

Size

  • Ultimate height Higher than 12 metres

  • Ultimate spread wider than 8 metres

  • Time to ultimate height 20-50 years

How to grow

Cultivation Grow in moderately fertile soil; will tolerate poor dry soils. Larger trees develop brittle branches which may be damaged or dropped in strong winds. Suckering may be a problem

Propagation Propagate by seed or from root cuttings or from suckers

Suggested planting locations and garden types Low Maintenance Drought Resistant

How to care

Pruning Pruning group 1 or Pruning group 7; pruning should be done in late summer or early autumn to prevent bleeding; sucker removal if necessary, in autumn

Pests Generally trouble free

Diseases Generally disease free but in more recent years there have been Frisia dieback problems

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