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Black Locust Groves Useful in Reclaiming Land

Hello Gardeners, I’m Amanda McNulty with Clemson Extension and Making It Grow! Another member of the bean family that also gets called “locust” in its common name is Black Locust, Robinia pseudoacacia. Like honey locust, it has compound leaves and is armed but with small prickles that are less dangerous than thorns on honey locust trees. Black locust is strikingly beautiful in flower as it looks like a white wistaria with drooping clusters of white fragrant blossoms.   This tree is very adaptable – Dr. Michael Dirr calls its an “alley cat” tree and he says it often looks about as straggly as an old Tom does. It’s shallow, suckering roots colonize easily and a grove is striking when seen in natural settings. Since it’s so adaptable, it’s valuable when reclaiming areas such as mining sites and places with a high salt index. It does not, however, do well in places with high levels of pollution from vehicles and industries. 

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Amanda McNulty is a Clemson University Extension Horticulture agent and the host of South Carolina ETV’s Making It Grow! gardening program. She studied horticulture at Clemson University as a non-traditional student. “I’m so fortunate that my early attempts at getting a degree got side tracked as I’m a lot better at getting dirty in the garden than practicing diplomacy!” McNulty also studied at South Carolina State University and earned a graduate degree in teaching there.