Black Locust Seedlings (Robinia pseudoacacia)

Black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) is a fast-growing deciduous tree native to the Appalachian and Ozark regions of the eastern United States. Our black locust seedlings are sold in bulk packs for windbreaks, hedgerows, pollinator plantings and woodlots. In spring the tree hangs long clusters of fragrant white flowers among soft, feathery leaves.

• Hardiness zones: 3–8
• Mature size: 30–50 feet tall and 20–35 feet wide
• Light: Full sun
• Soil: Well-drained
• Sizes: 6–12 inches or 12–18 inches tall
• Packs: 50, 100, 500 or 1,000 seedlings
• Shipped as: Bare root, by UPS
• Ships: In Dormant Season

Why Grow Black Locust Seedlings?

Black locust is a legume. Bacteria in nodules on its roots fix nitrogen from the air, so a planting builds fertility in worn-out or disturbed ground and helps other plants follow. Its spreading roots bind slopes and banks, which is why it is widely used for erosion control and mine reclamation. The flowers give honeybees a heavy nectar flow, and the heartwood is dense and naturally rot-resistant, prized for fence posts and firewood.

What Soil Does Black Locust Need?

Black locust adapts to almost any soil type or pH. It grows in sand, gravel, clay loam and rocky ground, in acidic or alkaline conditions, and it is drought tolerant once its roots are established. It thrives on well-drained ground, so a slope or a rise is ideal on heavy clay.

How Does Black Locust Grow and Where to Plant It?

Black locust loves full sun, so plant it in the open. Set seedlings close together in rows for a windbreak or hedgerow, or give a single tree room for its full spread, on open ground such as field edges and property lines.

How to Plant Bare-Root Black Locust Seedlings

Plant while the seedlings are dormant, from November to April when the ground is workable, and as soon as you can after they arrive. Soak the roots in water for an hour or two. Dig a hole wide and deep enough to spread the roots without bending them, and set the seedling at the depth it grew in the nursery, with the root collar at soil level. Backfill with the soil you dug out, firm it with your hands to remove air pockets, and water well.

How Do You Care for Black Locust Seedlings?

Water once a week through the first growing season when rain is short. After that, water only in a long drought. It thrives without fertilizer. Keep grass and weeds cleared in a circle around each seedling for the first two summers so the seedlings get all the water. Prune in late winter to remove crossing branches or to train a single trunk.

Why Buy Black Locust Seedlings From TN Nursery?

Black locust is one of the native trees we grow in the largest numbers, more than 200,000 at our Tennessee nursery, so every seedling pack comes fresh-dug from our own stock. Each pack is one height grade, so a whole row starts out even, and one order can cover a windbreak, a woodlot or an eroding slope. Want a bigger tree that makes its mark sooner? See our larger black locust trees.

Large plantings are familiar work for us: TN Nursery has supplied plants to NASA, the US Air Force and the Discovery Channel, and our black locust seedlings are grown with the same care.