Black Locust Tree Seeds | False Acacia | (Robinia pseudoacacia)
Black Locust Tree Seeds | False Acacia | (Robinia pseudoacacia)
Tough as iron. Fragrant as honey. Useful as anything you can grow.
Robinia pseudoacacia, the Black Locust, is one of the most practical and ecologically valuable trees in North America. Fast-growing and nitrogen-fixing, it thrives in poor soils while improving them over time. In late spring, it produces cascading clusters of intensely fragrant white flowers that fill the air with a vanilla-honey scent and support pollinators in force. Its wood is among the hardest and most rot-resistant available, making it as functional as it is beautiful.
- Exceptionally hard, rot-resistant hardwood ideal for outdoor use
- Nitrogen-fixing roots improve soil fertility
- Highly fragrant white flowers that attract pollinators
- Produces one of the highest-BTU firewoods in North America
- Thrives in poor, eroded, or disturbed soils
Things You Probably Didn’t Know
Stronger than you expect.
Black Locust wood is harder than white oak and more rot-resistant than cedar. Untreated fence posts have been known to last 50 to 100 years in the ground.
It produces premium honey.
Known as acacia honey in Europe, Black Locust honey is light, slow to crystallize, and highly valued for its delicate flavor.
It helped build early American ships.
Black Locust was used in shipbuilding for its strength and durability, including in the construction of the USS Constitution.
It rebuilds degraded land.
Planted on mined and damaged soils, Black Locust improves fertility and stabilizes land, making it a key species in restoration efforts.
Growing Details
- Botanical Name: Robinia pseudoacacia
- Stratification: Not required; scarification with hot water or sandpaper improves germination
- USDA Zones: 3–8
- Soil: Extremely adaptable; thrives in poor, rocky, sandy, or disturbed soils
- Light: Full sun
- Height: 40–80 feet
- Spread: 20–35 feet
- Growth Rate: Fast (3–5 ft/year)
Plant it where you need something that works. A tree that fixes the soil, feeds the bees, heats the house, and builds the fence all at once.
Shipping Restriction: Black Locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) cannot be sold or shipped to addresses in Maine due to state invasive plant regulations. Please do not order this product if your shipping address is in Maine.
FAQ
FAQ
Do you pre-stratify the seeds?
Most of our seeds are not pre-stratified. They are stored under dry, cold conditions to preserve viability without initiating stratification, allowing you to time germination for your local growing season.
The exception is recalcitrant seeds. Because these seeds must remain moist to stay viable, they are kept in moist, cold storage and are therefore in a pre-stratified state. Depending on how long a particular batch has been stored, some may arrive with an emerging radicle and be ready to plant immediately. Radicle development is not guaranteed.
Please refer to the individual product page and included growing instructions for species-specific requirements.
Do any of your seeds need to stay moist? (Recalcitrant seeds)
Yes. Some species we offer, including Chestnut, Hazelnut, and Paw Paw, are recalcitrant and must remain moist to stay viable.
Please refrigerate these seeds immediately upon arrival unless they have already developed a radicle. Seeds with an emerging radicle should be planted promptly.
Do you ship internationally?
No. We currently ship within the United States only.
We previously shipped to Canada, but tariffs, duties, and import fees resulted in customers receiving significant and unpredictable additional charges upon delivery. Because we cannot reliably calculate or absorb these costs, we have suspended shipping to Canada.
At this time, we do not ship to Canada or other international destinations.
Shipping & What's Included
Shipping & What's Included
Shipping & Packaging
• Hand-packed in resealable kraft paper seed bags
• Stratification and planting instructions included on every seed pack
• Ships within 3–5 business days via USPS within the United States and U.S. territories
Return Policy
Return Policy
Due to the nature of our products, we do not accept returns on seeds.
If your order arrives damaged, contains incorrect items, or is missing items, please contact us within 7 days of delivery so we can resolve the issue.
