Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Fabaceae
- Genus:
- Robinia
- Species:
- Robinia pseudoacacia
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Tree
- Height:
- More than 40 ft
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Bloom Months:
- apr, may, jun
- Bloom Colors:
- White
Native Range
United States: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Wyoming, Canada: British Columbia, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec
Keystone Species Ranking
- Caterpillar Keystone:
- ★★☆☆☆
Based on number of butterfly and moth species using this genus as host plant (Source: National Wildlife Federation)
Host Plant for Caterpillars
Agonopterix robiniella, American Dagger Moth (Acronicta americana), Bagworm moth (Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis), Banded Tussock Moth (Halysidota tessellaris), black bit moth (Celiptera frustulum), Black-spotted prominent (Dasylophia anguina), Bordered Sallow (Pyrrhia umbra), Brown-tail moth (Euproctis chrysorrhoea), Caloptilia stigmatella, Carpenterworm Moth (Prionoxystus robiniae), Cecropia moth (Hyalophora cecropia), Chrysopeleia purpuriella, common spring moth (Heliomata cycladata), Eastern Tent Caterpillar (Malacosoma americana), Elm Sphinx (Ceratomia amyntor), fall cankerworm (Alsophila pometaria), Fall webworm (Hyphantria cunea), Filatima pseudacaciella, Forest Tent Caterpillar (Malacosoma disstria), fruit-tree leafroller (Archips argyrospila), Giant leopard moth (Hypercompe scribonia), Green Cloverworm Moth (Hypena scabra), Gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar), Hickory Tussock Moth (Lophocampa caryae), honest pero moth (Pero honestaria), Horned Spanworm (Nematocampa resistaria), Hubbard's silk moth (Syssphinx hubbardi), Io moth (Automeris io), Iris eyed silkmoth (Automeris iris), Leopard moth (Zeuzera pyrina), lesser cornstalk borer (Elasmopalpus lignosellus), Limbata angle moth (Nematocampa limbata), locust borer (Paranthrene robiniae), locust leafminer (Phyllonorycter robiniella), locust leafminer (Parectopa robiniella), locust twig borer (Ecdytolopha insiticiana), Locust Underwing (Euparthenos nubilis), Magdalen Underwing (Catocala illecta), Mountain Sphinx Moth (Syssphinx montana), Nephopterix subcaesiella, Nephopterix subfuscella, Nephopterix virgatella, Nephopterix virgatella?, oak leafminer (Chrysaster ostensackenella), Parectopa lespedezaefoliella, Peppered Moth (Biston betularia), Phyllonorycter fitchella, Phyllonorycter gemmea, Pseudanthracia coracias, Pulse pod borer (Etiella zinckenella), Red-humped caterpillar moth (Schizura concinna), Semiothisa aemulataria, Semiothisa nigrocomma, Semiothisa ocellinata, Sinoe robiniella, Spotted Tussock Moth (Lophocampa maculata), stalk borer moth (Papaipema nebris), Syssphinx albolineata, ⚠️Three-staff Underwing (Catocala amestris), Toumey's bagworm moth (Oiketicus toumeyi), Two-colored sossphinx (Syssphinx bicolor), Unicorn caterpillar moth (Schizura unicornis), velvetbean caterpillar (Anticarsia gemmatalis), Western tent caterpillar (Malacosoma californica), White-marked Tussock Moth (Orgyia leucostigma), Widow Underwing (Catocala vidua), Yellownecked caterpillar (Datana ministra), Yellownecked caterpillar (Datana integerrima), Zale undularis, Zale unilineata, Dreamy Duskywing (Erynnis icelus), Silver-spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus), Zarucco Duskywing (Erynnis zarucco)
Reported Fauna Sightings
Bees: Black and gold bumble bee (Bombus auricomus), Black and gold bumble bee (Bombus auricomus), Common eastern bumble bee (Bombus impatiens), Common eastern bumble bee (Bombus impatiens), Crotch bumble bee (Bombus crotchii), Crotch bumble bee (Bombus crotchii), Indiscriminate cuckoo bumble bee (Bombus insularis), Indiscriminate cuckoo bumble bee (Bombus insularis), Nevada bumble bee (Bombus nevadensis), Nevada bumble bee (Bombus nevadensis), Northern amber bumble bee (Bombus borealis), Northern amber bumble bee (Bombus borealis), Tri-colored bumble bee (Bombus ternarius), Tri-colored bumble bee (Bombus ternarius), White-shouldered bumble bee (Bombus appositus), White-shouldered bumble bee (Bombus appositus), Yellow bumble bee (Bombus fervidus), Yellow bumble bee (Bombus fervidus), Yellow head bumble bee (Bombus flavifrons), Yellow head bumble bee (Bombus flavifrons), Yellow-faced bumble bee (Bombus vosnesenskii), Yellow-faced bumble bee (Bombus vosnesenskii)
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- well-drained, sandy or loamy soil
- pH:
- 4.6 - 8.2 (acidic to alkaline)
- Drainage:
- excellent drainage required
- Moisture:
- dry to moderate
- Notes:
- tolerates poor, rocky soils
Germination Information
Pre-treatment: Seeds have an impermeable seedcoat and should be scarified using a Fosburg scarifier or concentrated sulfuric acid. After scarification, seeds should be thoroughly rinsed in water to remove residual acid and then inoculated with rhizobia specified for Robinia.
Establishment: Black locust is native from Pennsylvania and south Indiana to Oklahoma, south to Georgia and Alabama. It has escaped from cultivation north to Nova Scotia and Quebec. It can be weedy outside its native range. Seeds are typically collected in September and October after they have ripened but before the legumes have split.
Source: npn.rngr.net
