Bristly locust, Rose-acacia, or Moss locust
Robinia hispida

Family: Leguminosae

What it is like

Robinia hispida is a deciduous Shrub growing to 3.5 m (11ft) by 2 m (6ft) at a fast rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 5. The flowers are pollinated by Birds, Insects. It can fix Nitrogen. It is noted for attracting wildlife. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. Suitable pH: neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils and can grow in very alkaline soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil.

Height (m): 3.5

Where it is found

Thin upland woodlands, woodland edges, thickets, fence rows, roadside embankments, banks of drainage canals, vacant lots, and overgrown waste areas.

Native Range: Central and eastern United States

Conservation Status: Least Concern.

Countries/locations it is found in

Robinia hispida is native to the United States and Canada, but widely introduced and occurring across Europe and Asia. Native: United States (Wyoming, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Washington, Virginia, Utah, Texas, Tennessee, South Dakota, Kansas, Iowa, Indiana, Illinois, Idaho, Georgia, Florida, Connecticut, Colorado, California, Arkansas, Alabama, Arizona, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina). Non-native: Azerbaijan; Canada (Nova Scotia, Ontario); China; France; Latvia; Lithuania; Ukraine; United States (Vermont, Delaware, Maine); Uzbekistan

How it is used

Food

Rating: 0

Medicine

Rating: 1

Native American Tribe: The Cherokee had several uses for the plant including: Root bark chewed as an emetic. Beaten root held on tooth for toothache. Infusion given to cows as a 'tonic' (brit.org).

Other

Rating: 3

Nitrogen fixer. Excellent flowers and foliage. Specimen or screen. Good plant for stabilizing embankments and slopes and for planting in poor, dry soils. Interesting informal hedge. Food and shelter for beneficials including shelter for lacewings and parasitoid wasps. Humingbird nectar plant and bird shelter .

Hedge: Plants that can be grown as hedges.

Attracts Wildlife: Plants noted for attracting wildlife

Food Forest: Plants for Edible Forest Gardens and Food Forests.

Hedge: Hedge

Nitrogen Fixer: Plants that fix nitrogen in the soil

How it is grown

A shrub or small tree which grows in dry woods and slopes. It has been reported to have occasionally escaped from cultivation. Grow in average, dry to medium moisture, well-drained soil in full sun. Prefers organically rich soils, but tolerates poor, dry soils. Flower: Showy. Bloom: Rosy pink to purplish-red. Bloom Time: May. Fruit: Showy. Tolerate: Deer, Drought, Erosion, Dry Soil, Shallow-Rocky Soil. As robinias have brittle branches that can be easily damaged by strong winds, it may be necessary to plant them in a protected spot. Otherwise, these are hardy, easily cultivated trees that will thrive in any bright position with moist well-drained soil. They can be pruned when young to establish a strongly branched structure. For polyculture design as well as the above-ground architecture (form - tree, shrub etc. and size shown above) information on the habit and root pattern is also useful and given here if available. A clumping plant, forming a colony from shoots away from the crown but with a limited spread. The root pattern is stoloniferous rooting from creeping stems above the ground.

Propagating it: Species are raised from seed. While cuttings will strike, the cultivars are usually grafted onto seedling stocks to ensure superior root systems.

Best place to grow:

Habit: Shrub

Hardiness: 4-8

Growth: Fast

Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: No shade

Moisture: Dry, moist

Things to keep in mind

All parts of this plant are poisonous.

This plant is listed as a noxious weed in one or more US Midwestern states outside Missouri and should not be moved or grown under conditions that would involve danger of dissemination.

Its other names

Local names

Bristly locust, rose-acacia, moss locust,

Synonyms

R. hispida var. hispida. R. longiloba Ashe. R. pauciflora Ashe. R. rosea Marshall