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Fabaceae FAMILY Least Concern

Robinia hispida

Robinia hispida

Edibility
0/5
Medicinal
2/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitDeciduous Shrub
GrowthMedium

Robinia hispida is very cold tolerant. When fully dormant, top growth can withstand winter temperatures down to around -25°c without damage - the plant is able to survive temperatures down to around -35°c, though top growth is usually killed bak, though the plant will usually resprout from the base[1]. Prefers a position in full sun[2], but can tolerate light shade. Succeeds in any soil, preferring one that is not too rich[3, 4]. Prefers a well-drained soil, succeeding on dry barren sites[4, 1, 2]. Plants are tolerant of drought and atmospheric pollution[4]. Thrives best at a pH of 6 - 7, but this species is useful for vegetating acid soils with a pH as low as 3.5 to 4.0, as well as alkaline soils with a pH 8.0[1]. The branches are brittle and very liable to wind damage and so the plant is best grown with some shelter from stronger winds[4, 2]. When plants are grown in rich soils they produce coarse and rank growth which is even more liable to wind damage[5, 4]. Plants can sucker freely, especially when growing on soils of lighter texture. Suckering is severely restricted if there is a dense growth of herbaceous plants[1]. Root suckers may appear the first year of growth, and the thicket forming growth habit will begin by the second year[1]. When grown as an ornamental, plants are often grafted onto the roots of Robinia pseudoacacia since this reduces the tendancy to sucker[2]. Any pruning should be done in late summer in order to reduce the risk of bleeding[4]. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[4]. This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[1].

Propagation

Seed - pre-soak for 48 hours in warm water and sow the seed in late winter in a cold frame[6]. A short stratification improves germination rates and time[6]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in the following summer. The seed remains viable for over 10 years in normal storage[7]. Suckers taken during the dormant season. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Robinia+hispida>

Pollinators

Insects

References

  1. [1]Plants Database — United States Department of Agriculture · http://plants.usda.gov/java/factSheet ↩︎An online database with an excellent collection of fact sheets about native N. American plants.
  2. [2]KemperCentreForHomeGardeningPlantFinder — Missouri Botanical Garden · http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/ ↩︎Basic cultivation details, plant uses, habitat etc for several thousand species of plants, mainly from the temperate zone.
  3. [3]RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 — F. Chittendon. · Oxford University Press · 1951 · ISBN - ↩︎Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [ 200 ]).
  4. [4]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
  5. [5]Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. — Bean. W. · Murray · 1981 · ISBN - ↩︎A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.
  6. [6]Hardy Woody Plants from Seed. — McMillan-Browse. P. · Grower Books · 1985 · ISBN 0-901361-21-6 ↩︎Does not deal with many species but it is very comprehensive on those that it does cover. Not for casual reading.
  7. [7]The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. — Dirr. M. A. and Heuser. M. W. · Athens Ga. Varsity Press · 1987 · ISBN 0942375009 ↩︎A very detailed book on propagating trees. Not for the casual reader.
  8. [8]IUCN Red List of Threatened Species — http://www.iucnredlist.org/ ↩︎A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
  9. [9]Ecocrop — http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home ↩︎Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available.
  10. [10]Native American Ethnobotany — Moerman. D. · Timber Press. Oregon. · 1998 · ISBN 0-88192-453-9 ↩︎Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.