Accession Count: 4
Common Name:
New Mexico honey locust
Family Name:
Fabaceae
Botanical Name:
Robinia neomexicana
Sub Species:
Variety:
Forma:
Cultivar:
Characteristics:
The New Mexico honey locust is a small tree or a large shrub (1). They grow up to 10 m tall in thickets with branches forming long spines (1,2). However, in cultivation, spineless varieties have been selected (3). The leaves of the New Mexico honey locust are green and pinnately compound. At the base of each leaf, are a pair of thorns. The leaves are glabrous, with hair-like structures forming on the leaf surface (3). Each leaf contains 5-17 leaflets. The flowers that form are very showy and usually white or red, and fragrant, appearing in spring or early summer in dense racemes (2, 4). The legume fruits, typical of plants in the Fabaceae family, are brown at maturity (2).
Compound:
Rob neo
Geographic Origin:
Mountain Southwest
Ecozone Origin:
Nearctic
Biome Origin:
Natural History:
The New Mexico honey locust has a fairly new history. However, it has been used in many Native American practices in more ancient times (see ethnobotany). The Genus Robinia was originally described in 1753 by Carl Linnaeus. The family is named after Jean Robbins. He was a French botanist who lived from 1559 to 1692. He was the gardener and curator of the botanical garden of the Paris Faculty of Medicine. The specific epithet “neomexicana” means “of or from New Mexico”. The species was described in 1854 by Asa Gray (2).
Cultivation Notes:
The New Mexico honey locust is fairly common in cultivation. They are hardy down to USDA zone 5, with a very wide distribution range in the US (4). This plant loves well to moderately well-draining soil. It grows well in full sun to part shade (6). It can be propagated by seed or spring wood cutting (6).
Ethnobotany:
This plant is highly used in medicine and other herbal treatments of illnesses. It is also used highly by southwest indigenous people. One use is as an emetic to purify the stomach. It helps clean out the stomach and helps other stomach issues a person might have. This plant is also used to help treat arthritis (5). The wood and bark of the plant were used to make arrows and bows. They were also used in buildings. The plant was also used as a food source. The raw pods were eaten along with the beans. The flowers were boiled with other types of food to create a soup. The flowers were also eaten raw. This plant has been used in a wide array and is very important to native American tribes of the southeastern United States (2).
Height:
20 - 50 feet
Width:
0 - 5 feet
Growth Rate:
Fast Growing
Grow Season:
Flower Season:
Color:
Pink
Function:
Spread:
Non-spreading
Allergen:
Non-allergenic
Invasive:
Benign
Toxicity:
Benign
Hardy:
Semi-hardy
Water Use:
Low water Use
