Bristly Locust
Robinia hispida
Bristly locust is a suckering shrub draped with showy rose-pink pea flowers in late spring, its stems clad in red bristles. A nitrogen-fixing bank-stabilizer for dry, poor soils; spreads enthusiastically.
- Family
- Fabaceae
- Type
- shrub
- Lifespan
- perennial
- Height
- 6–10 ft
- Spacing
- 8–15 ft apart
- Light
- sun
- Soil moisture
- dry, moist
- Soil pH
- neutral, acidic
- Bloom
- May, June
- Bloom colors
- pink, purple
- Wildlife value
- pollinators, larval host, songbirds
- Caterpillar hosts
- ~72 butterfly & moth species
- Landscape uses
- specimen, hedge or screen, erosion control
- Native states
- AL, AR, CT, DC, GA, IL, KY, LA, MA, MI, MN, NC, NJ, NY, PA, SC, TN, VA, WI, WV