Robinia seeds

Common robinia (white acacia), or robinia pseudoacacia - is a fast-growing, forest-forming, drought-resistant tree, a species of the genus Robinia of the Legume family (Fabaceae). The botanically erroneous name «white locust» is widespread. It is actively cultivated - both as an ornamental plant and as a plant for strengthening sand and creating windbreaks.

Large trees with a height of 20-25 m (can reach 30-35 m) and a trunk diameter of up to 1 m. The shoots are bare or initially slightly pubescent, angular, olive green to shiny reddish brown. The crown is openwork, spreading, widely cylindrical, rounded at the top, translucent, with several separate tiers of leafy branches. The root system is deep, branching, 12-15 m in diameter; the roots contain nodules with nitrogen-fixing bacteria. The bark on the trunk is thick, cracking, gray-brown in color, with deep longitudinal cracks.

The leaves are light green with a silvery tint, alternate, imparipinnate, 10-25 (up to 45) cm long. At the base of the leaves there are paired spines up to 2 cm long, which are modified stipules and break off quite easily.
The inflorescence is multi-flowered (5-15 flowers), drooping raceme 10-25 cm long. The flowers sit on pubescent pedicels 6-12 mm long. The fruits are oblong-linear, flat brown beans, 5-12 cm long, 1-1,5 cm wide, with a slightly curved nose or blunt, glabrous, with 3-15 seeds. The seeds are oblong-reniform or narrowly reniform, about 5 mm long, 3 mm wide, olive-green, brown or dark brown, to black, often spotted, smooth, matte or shiny. They ripen by the end of September and often hang on trees throughout the winter. Flowering occurs, depending on the species and region, in May - June or July.

Robinia has high frost resistance and drought resistance. Used as an ornamental plant in gardens and parks, in urban landscaping. In forestry it is used as a forest-forming crop.

All parts of the tree except the flowers are poisonous!

Common robinia is an excellent, highly productive honey plant; honey from robinia is highly valued.