Black locust

One of the toughest trees around, black locust thrives just about anywhere you plant it. The plant doesn't mind poor soil (in fact, it improves soil by adding nitrogen), drought, air pollution, salt spray, or even light shade. It's attractive, too, with divided blue-green foliage and fragrant clusters of white or pink flowers in late spring or early summer. It's native to areas of Eastern North America.

Black locust does have some downsides, however. It's a thorny tree and can spread by seeds or suckers and a couple of insect pests feed on the leaves so it may look scraggly by the end of the season.

Light:

Sun, Part Sun

Zones:

4-9

Plant Type:

Tree

Plant Height:

To 80 feet tall

Plant Width:

To 50 feet tall

Flower Color:

White, Pink/Rose

Bloom Time:

Summer

Landscape Uses:

Beds & Borders, Privacy, Slopes

Special Features:

Flowers, Attractive Foliage, Fragrant, Drought Tolerant, Easy to Grow

Top Varieties

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Black locust

(Robinia pseudoacacia) is the wild form. It's fast growing, offers fragrant white flowers, and reaches 80 feet tall and 50 feet wide at maturity. Zones 4-9
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Golden black locust

(Robinia pseudoacacia 'Frisia') has white flowers and bright golden-yellow foliage in spring and summer that turns orange in fall. It grows 50 feet tall and 25 feet wide. Zones 4-9
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