Photo: Hutchinson, Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Bristly Locust (Rose Locust)
Robinia hispida
Also called bristly locust, moss locust.
Rose-pink wisteria-like flowers in May on a suckering, nitrogen-fixing shrub for dry banks.
Showy flowersWildlife valueDrought tolerantNitrogen fixing
- Type
- Shrub
- Mature height
- 3–8 ft
- USDA zones
- 5–8
- Growth rate
- Fast
- Sun
- Full
- Soil moisture
- Dry · Average
210
Bristly locust is native to the southern Appalachians and has naturalized widely on road cuts and mine spoil, where its running roots hold loose soil. The flowers are as showy as any garden shrub. Plant it where it can spread, on a dry slope or sandy bank, and not in a small bed.
Heights and zones are typical ranges for the species in cultivation; local conditions and seed source shift them. Estimate growth for this species →
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