Is black locust a tree or a shrub? Black locust is a plant of the genus Robinia of the Papilionaceae family, also known as Sophora japonica and German Sophora japonica.
Let’s briefly introduce the black locust tree for your reference.
1. Is Robinia a tree or a shrub? Robinia is a deciduous tree.
It is 25 meters high, with a diameter at breast height of 1 meter. The crown is nearly oval, and the branchlets are smooth and brittle. There are often two stipule spines of different sizes at the base of the petiole.
The leaves are odd-numbered, pinnately compound, alternate, the leaflets are oval, the apex is obtuse, and the leaves are notched.
The pods of black locust are flat, oblong, and the seeds are kidney-shaped and black.
The flowering period is in May and the fruit ripening period is in November.
2. Ecological Habits of Robinia Locust Robinia pseudoacacia is a strongly masculine tree that cannot tolerate shade, even seedlings cannot tolerate shade. It grows well in areas with an average annual temperature of 8-14°C and an annual rainfall of 500-900 mm. , the trunk is straight; however, it does not grow well in the hot and humid climate of the south, and the trunk is low and curved.
Black locust is resistant to barrenness because its roots contain rhizobia, which can increase nitrogen in the soil; it is resistant to drought, but not tolerant to waterlogging. Water accumulation or high underground levels often cause root rot, dead shoots and death.
It grows well on calcareous soil, and can grow on acidic soil, neutral soil and light saline-alkali soil.
3. Cultivation and management of Robinia pseudoacacia. Robinia pseudoacacia is propagated by methods such as sowing, cutting, root cutting, division and grafting, but the main method is sowing.
Transplantation is carried out after the leaves fall in autumn and before the buds sprout in spring. There is no need to bring soil balls, and the roots are transplanted with mud.
Because the root system is shallow, pay attention to crown pruning during daily management to reduce pressure, and set up pillars to enhance wind resistance.
Black locust has strong germination and root mushroom properties, and will germinate easily after being damaged.
It has a strong ability to retain water and soil and has a short lifespan.
It has shallow roots and well-developed lateral roots, but they are mostly distributed in the topsoil layer of 20-30 cm. They are easily blown over and broken by water temperature and wind outlets.
4. Garden uses of Robinia locust. The Robinia locust tree is tall and has dense branches and leaves. It can be used as a shade tree and street tree. Because of its strong resistance to pollution, it is suitable for greening around and in factories. It is also an excellent nectar tree species. ; Resistant to pruning, has thorns on branches, and can be used as a preventive thorn hedge.
The thorn is a shallow-rooted tree species, and it is necessary to prevent it from falling in the wind during greening.