Treating Black Locust Suckers (and How to Prevent Them Altogether!)

Black Locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) is a deciduous tree species native to the southeastern United States, ranging from Pennsylvania and Ohio in the north to Alabama and Georgia in the south. It is also found in parts of the Midwest and Appalachia.

It has been introduced to other parts of the world, including areas in North America that are outside its native range, where it often becomes invasive, outcompeting native plant species and disrupting local ecosystems.

When Black Locust trees are cut down or the main stem is damaged, they have a remarkable ability to regenerate from their root systems, producing new shoots from the stumps and suckers along the root system. These suckers can grow rapidly and form dense stands that are difficult to access for herbicide treatment or other control methods. Even if the suckering plants are cut down repeatedly, they can continue to send up new suckers and regenerate from their root systems for years. This makes Black Locust trees difficult to control, especially in areas where they are invasive.

To prevent the tree from sprouting new suckers, the roots must be completely killed before cutting the tree down. Using herbicides on standing trees does not induce a suckering response, allowing the herbicide to be translocated and kill the entire root system.