Black Locust

Robinia pseudoacacia

Found in forests, woodlands, disturbed areas, roadcuts. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), South Central edition What its natural habitat tells you

Strong

Native to Alabama. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 94%

Height: 50 feet
Spread: 20–35 feet
Light: Full sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture: Somewhat dry to moist

Space about 27.5 ft apart from its recorded spread. Enter your bed size for a count

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At a glance

Life cycle: Woody perennial
Leaves: Deciduous
Bloom: April to June
Fruiting season: July to November

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Recorded in 52 Alabama counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

1 of 2

Named place / source context. Shown: Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park, Georgia, a neighboring state.Trail on Little Kennesaw Mountain., Unidentified in HFC record, undated. Public domain. Source record.

Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground

Ground opened by people: roadsides, old fields, pastures, fencerows and lots.

All habitats

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Alabama. Shared habitat, not food. 133 animals.

American Coot
Fulica americana
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Bank Swallow
Riparia riparia
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Canvasback
Aythya valisineria
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Gadwall
Anas strepera
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Least Bittern
Ixobrychus exilis
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Long-eared Owl
Asio otus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Orchard Oriole
Icterus spurius
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Red-shouldered Hawk
Buteo lineatus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Pheucticus ludovicianus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Ruddy Duck
Oxyura jamaicensis
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Snowy Egret
Egretta thula
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Sora
Porzana carolina
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Yellow-throated Warbler
Dendroica dominica
Birds. 1 shared habitat

All wildlife of Alabama

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

59CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including AL

Genus host records with ranges including AL · Robinia

Epargyreus clarusSilver-spotted Skipper
Acharia stimuleaSaddleback Caterpillar Moth
Acronicta americanaAmerican Dagger
Actias lunaLuna Moth
Alsophila pometariaFall Cankerworm Moth
Amyelois transitellaNavel Orangeworm
Anticarsia gemmatalisVelvetbean Caterpillar Moth
Archips argyrospilaFruit-Tree Leafroller Moth
Aroga trialbamaculellaRed-Striped Fireworm Moth
Automeris ioIo Moth

Show all 59

Biston betulariaSalt-and-Pepper Geometer, Cleft-Headed Looper
Caloptilia stigmatellaPoplar Caloptilia
Catocala habilisHabilis Underwing
Catocala illectaMagdalen Underwing
Celiptera frustulumBlack Bit Moth
Ceratomia amyntorElm Sphinx
Coelodasys unicornisUnicorn Caterpillar Moth
Colias philodiceClouded Sulphur, Clover Butterfly
Dasylophia anguinaBlack-Spotted Prominent
Datana ministraYellow-Necked Caterpillar Moth
Digrammia ocellinataFaint-Spotted Angle
Eacles imperialisImperial Moth, Imperial Spiny Caterpillar
Ecdytolopha insiticianaLocust Twig Borer Moth
Elasmopalpus lignosellaLesser Cornstalk Borer
Euparthenos nubilisLocust Underwing
Gesta icelusDreamy Duskywing
Gesta zaruccoZarucco Duskywing
Gymnandrosoma punctidiscanumDotted Gymnast, Dotted Ecdytolopha
Halysidota tessellarisBanded Tussock Moth, Pale Tiger Moth
Heliomata cycladataCommon Spring Moth, Stout Locust Looper
Heliomata infulataRare Spring Moth
Hypena scabraGreen Cloverworm Bomolocha, Black Snout
Hypercompe scriboniaGiant Leopard Moth, Great Leopard Moth
Hyphantria cuneaFall Webworm
Malacosoma disstriaForest Tent Caterpillar
Mellilla xanthometataOrange Wing
Nematocampa resistariaFilament Bearer, Horned Spanworm Moth
Norape cretataWhite Flannel Moth
Oedemasia concinnaRed-Humped Caterpillar, Red-Humped Appleworm
Oiketicus abbotiiAbbot's Bagworm Moth
Orgyia leucostigmaWhite-Marked Tussock Moth
Orthosia hibisciSpeckled Green Fruitworm Moth, Speckled Green Quaker
Papaipema nebrisStalk Borer
Parectopa robiniellaLocust Digitate Leafminer
Pero honestariaHonest Pero
Prionoxystus robiniaeCarpenterworm Moth, Black Locust Borer, Cottonwood Borer
Pseudanthracia coraciasPseudanthracia Moth
Psilocorsis cryptolechiellaBlack-Fringed Leaftier
Pyrrhia ciliscaAmerican Bordered Sallow, Noble Sun Moth
Sciota subcaesiellaLocust Leafroller
Sciota virgatellaBlack-Spotted Leafroller
Selenisa sueroidesTailpipes, Pale-Edged Selenisa Moth
Sparganothis sulfureanaSparganothis Fruitworm Moth, Sulfur Leafroller, False Yellow-Head
Syssphinx bicolorHoney Locust Moth
Tetracis cachexiataWhite Slant-Line
Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformisEvergreen Bagworm Moth
Tlascala reductellaTlascala Moth, Honey Locust Leafroller
Zale undularisBlack Zale
Sinoe robiniella

Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)

1BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Robinia

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0

0Specialist beesPollen specialists

3BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Robinia

Callipepla californicaCalifornia Quail
Columba liviaRock Pigeon
Oreortyx pictusMountain Quail

Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family: Fabaceae
Hardiness: Zones 3a–8b
Soil pH: Acidic to alkaline
Flower color: White
Growth rate: Rapid
Growth habit: Several stems
Foliage color: Green
Fruit begins: July
Fruit ends: November

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope

Bloom · “April to June” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs) · Carolinas and Georgia
Flower color · “White” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Foliage color · “Green” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Fruit begins · “July” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs) · Carolinas and Georgia
Fruit ends · “November” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs) · Carolinas and Georgia
Growth habit · “Several stems” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Growth rate · “Rapid” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Hardiness · “Zones 3a–8b” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Height · “50 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; USDA PLANTS, Minnesota Wildflowers differ)
Leaves · “Deciduous” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Life cycle · “Woody perennial” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Light · “Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day); Partial shade (direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Tennessee Smart Yards, Virginia DCR Piedmont, Virginia DCR Coastal Plain differ)
primary_flower_color · “white” · USDA PLANTS
Soil · “Moist; Occasionally dry” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Tennessee Smart Yards, Virginia DCR Piedmont, Virginia DCR Coastal Plain differ)
Soil pH · “Acidic to alkaline” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Spread · “20–35 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox

Also known as

Robinia pseudo acacia; Robinia pseudo-acacia

Conservation status

Alabama rank	SNR
Global rank	G5
AL status	Not verified
Federal status	Not verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

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Black Locust

At a glance

Natural habitats

Also found with this plant

Who uses this plant?

Plant details

Conservation status

Will it fit your yard?

Sources

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