It grows meters high into the sky, blooms in bright white in early summer and forms long, brown fruits. The robinia is characterized by many characteristics. However, special attention is paid to the leaves of the deciduous tree. The strongly feathered appearance, which is typical for lepidoptera such as the robinia, betrays its exotic origin. The false acacia, as the robinia is also called, originally comes from North America. Incidentally, it also owes this nickname to the shape of its leaves. Read more below about what the leaves of the robinia are all about.
The individual leaves of the robinia are about 3cm long
features
- imparipinnate
- Leaf color: green
- alternate
- 9-19 single leaves on a stem
- Length of single leaves: 3-4 cm
- sawn leaf edge
- Stipules are transformed into thorns
Note: The black locust is not directly related to the mimosa family, which also includes the acacia. Nevertheless, the false acacia is often mentioned. This is due to the external similarity of the robinia leaves and the sharp thorns. The honey obtained from the locust is also marketed under the name acacia honey. Likewise, it is the leaves that tell the difference between an acacia and a black locust. While the acacia is pinnate in pairs, i.e. has an even number of individual leaves on a leaf stalk, the robinia also has a single leaf at the end of the leaf stalk.
time of leaf emergence
The leaves of the robinia form comparatively late. Often the leaves do not sprout until the end of May, at the same time as the flowers form.
Caution poisonous
The robinia is classified as extremely toxic. Only the flowers pose no danger. The bark is the most toxic, but the leaves also contain ingredients that should be treated with caution. For animals, consumption often has fatal consequences. But humans are also not allowed to eat from the parts of the tree.
leaf disease
The black locust leaf miner is a species that specifically targets deciduous trees. The pest lays its eggs on the leaves, which serve as food for the larvae after hatching. You can recognize an infestation by discoloration of the leaves, which is followed by leaf loss. Despite these symptoms, the pest seems to be quite harmless to deciduous trees. The death of black locust due to the black locust leaf miner has not yet been observed.