Herb: New Mexico Locust


Latin name: Robinia neomexicana


Family: Leguminosae



Medicinal use of New Mexico Locust:

Antirheumatic. An emetic, it is used to clear the stomach.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Deciduous
Tree

Height:
2 m
(6 1/2 foot)

Flowering:
July to
August

Habitat of the herb:

Mountain canyons and plains, generally in sunny positions in moist soils by streams, 1200 - 2500 metres.

Edible parts of New Mexico Locust:

Flowers - raw or cooked. They can be used as a flavouring in cooked dishes. The flowers can be boiled, then dried and stored for later use. Seedpods - raw or cooked. They are gathered in the fall and eaten when fresh. The pods can also be cooked then dried and stored for later use. Seed - cooked.

Other uses of the herb:

Plants succeed in dry barren sites, their suckering habit making them suitable for stabilizing banks. Wood - tough, elastic and durable. Used for fence posts etc.

Propagation of New Mexico Locust:

Seed - pre-soak for 48 hours in warm water and sow the seed in late winter in a cold frame. A short stratification improves germination rates and time. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in the following summer. The seed stores for over 10 years. Suckers taken during the dormant season.

Cultivation of the herb:

Mountain canyons and plains, generally in sunny positions in moist soils by streams, 1200 - 2500 metres.

Known hazards of Robinia neomexicana:

The bark, root and seed are said to be poisonous.

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.