Black Locust, a Common Tree in North America

Robinia pseudoacacia – one of the most common north American trees

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Updated on February 02, 2018

Black locust is a legume with root nodes that, along with bacteria, "fixes" atmospheric nitrogen into the soil. These soil nitrates are usable by other plants. Most legumes have pea-like flowers with distinctive seed pods. Black locust is native to the Ozarks and the southern Appalachians but has been transplanted in many northeastern states and Europe. The tree has become a pest in areas outside its natural range. You are encouraged to plant the tree with caution.

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The Silviculture of Black Locust

Black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia), sometimes called yellow locust, grows naturally on a wide range of sites but does best on rich moist limestone soils. It has escaped cultivation and become naturalized throughout eastern North America and parts of the West.

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The Images of Black Locust

Forestryimages.org provides several images of parts of black locust. The tree is a hardwood and the lineal taxonomy is Magnoliopsida > Fabales > Fabaceae > Robinia pseudoacacia L. Black locust is also commonly called yellow locust and false acacia.

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The Range of Black Locust

Mount Magazine State Park — zrfphoto/Getty Images

Black locust has a disjunct original range, the extent of which is not accurately known. The eastern section is centered in the Appalachian Mountains and ranges from central Pennsylvania and southern Ohio, south to northeastern Alabama, northern Georgia, and northwestern South Carolina. The western section includes the Ozark Plateau of southern Missouri, northern Arkansas, and northeastern Oklahoma, and the Ouachita Mountains of central Arkansas and southeastern Oklahoma. Outlying populations appear in southern Indiana and Illinois, Kentucky, Alabama, and Georgia

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Black Locust at Virginia Tech

Leaf: Alternate, pinnately compound, with 7 to 19 leaflets, 8 to 14 inches long. Leaflets are oval, one inch long, with entire margins. Leaves resemble sprigs of grapes; green above and paler below.
Twig: Zigzag, somewhat stout and angular, red-brown in color, numerous lighter lenticels. Paired spines at each leaf scar (often absent on older or slow-growing twigs); buds are submerged beneath the leaf scar.

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Your Citation

Nix, Steve. "Black Locust, a Common Tree in North America." ThoughtCo, Apr. 5, 2023, thoughtco.com/black-locust-tree-overview-1343217. Nix, Steve. (2023, April 5). Black Locust, a Common Tree in North America. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/black-locust-tree-overview-1343217 Nix, Steve. "Black Locust, a Common Tree in North America." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/black-locust-tree-overview-1343217 (accessed June 5, 2023).