New Mexican Locust (or New Mexico, Southwest, Desert, Pink, or Rose Locust), Robinia neomexicana, is a shrub or small tree in the subfamily Faboideae of the pea family Fabaceae, native to the southwestern United States (southeastern California and southernmost Utah east through Arizona and New Mexico to west Texas) and adjoining northern Mexico. In California it is uncommon below 1500 meter (5000 feet) in canyons in pinyon-juniper country. Farther east, it is typically found between 1200 and 2600 meters (4000 and 8500 feet) along streams, in the bottoms of valleys, and on the sides of canyons. It grows to 5-10 meter tall (rarely to 15 meter) with bristly shoots. The leaves are 10-15 centimeter long, pinnate with 7-15 leaflets; they have a pair of sharp, reddish-brown thorns at the base. The flowers are showy and white or pink, produced in spring or early summer in dense racemes 5-10 centimeter long that hang from the branches near the ends. The fruits are brown bean-like pods with bristles like those on the shoots.
Robinia neomexicana
Written by
in