All plants /Tree /Black Locust
Black Locust
Robinia pseudoacacia, legume family. Common in East and Central Texas.
At a glance
- What
- Fragrant white flowers ONLY
- How
- Flowers raw or as fritters
- When
- Late spring
- Where
- Roadsides, old fields, woods edges
- Value
- Nectar-sweet; a fleeting spring treat
Caution: Eat ONLY the white flowers. The bark, leaves, seeds, and pods of black locust are toxic. Be sure of the tree and use the blossoms only. Never eat a wild plant on this guide's word alone. Confirm identity against several sources and learn the look-alikes first.
Identification
Drooping clusters of sweet-pea-shaped white flowers scent whole roadsides for a week or two in spring. Every other part of the tree is off the menu.
In the kitchen
The blossoms are honey-sweet raw and classic dipped in batter and fried into fritters.
Photo: Ввласенко, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Forages well with
Forage safely. Never eat a wild plant on this site's word alone. Confirm identity with several sources, learn the look-alikes, and when in doubt, leave it in the ground.