Black locust
Also known as: false acacia, Robinia pseudoacacia, robinia, acacia tree
Black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) is a tree that bees visit for nectar.
Black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia), also called false acacia, is a tree that bees visit for nectar. It is native to the north-eastern United States and is naturalised and widely planted in Europe. From this nectar bees make acacia honey, one of the most valued honeys on the European market: very light, liquid thanks to its high fructose content, with a weak floral and fresh-fruit aroma.
Nectar is plentiful but the crop varies: Ohio State University Extension calls the tree a rich nectar source that changes from year to year, with bloom in early summer. Most acacia honey comes from Eastern European countries. In Ukraine's forest-steppe a strong colony in a good flow collects up to 20 kg of marketable honey from white acacia, more than from lime (15-17 kg), buckwheat or sunflower.
Why this matters to you: for a beekeeper, black locust promises the biggest flow of the summer but never guarantees it, because the weather decides.
Facts
| Botanical origin | Robinia pseudoacacia |
|---|---|
| Season | Summer honey flow; bloom in early summer (Ohio data) |
| Region | Naturalised in Europe; most honey from Eastern Europe |
How it connects to Honey & beekeeping
Black locust → kind of → Honey plants → kind of → 🍯 Honey
Links
- Part of
- Honey plants
- Which honey it gives
- Acacia honey
Frequently asked questions
Is it true that acacia honey comes from acacia trees?
Mostly not. What is called acacia is black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia); the name “acacia honey” is often used loosely for it.
What do bees take from black locust?
Nectar, which they turn into acacia honey: very light, liquid thanks to its high fructose content, with a weak floral and fresh-fruit aroma.
When does black locust bloom, and is the crop reliable?
It blooms in early summer, but the nectar changes from year to year: Ohio State University Extension calls it a rich but variable source.
Where does most acacia honey come from?
From Eastern European countries. Black locust itself is native to the north-eastern United States and is naturalised and widely planted in Europe.
How much honey does black locust give compared with lime?
In Ukraine’s forest-steppe a strong colony in a good flow collects up to 20 kg of marketable honey from white acacia, more than from lime (15-17 kg), buckwheat or sunflower.
Similar
Rapeseed · Sweet chestnut · Heather (ling) · Lavender · Rosemary · Thyme
Sources
- Persano Oddo L., Piro R. (2004) Main European unifloral honeys: descriptive sheets, Black locust honey. Apidologie 35 (Suppl. 1)
- Ellsworth D. (2015) Ohio Trees for Bees, Ohio State University Extension, ENT-71
- Bezpalyi I. F., Postoenko V. O., Polishchuk A. A. (2021) Biotechnological factors of bees ethology during nectar collection. Bulletin of Poltava State Agrarian Academy 2