Species PlantsNew Mexico Locust

New Mexico Locust

Robinia neomexicana

CommonPlant
Illustration of New Mexico Locust (Robinia neomexicana)

New Mexico Locust is a thorny, thicket-forming shrub or small tree of canyon walls and mountain slopes in the Southwest, producing showy clusters of rose-pink flowers that attract hummingbirds and native bees. It is a nitrogen-fixer that rapidly colonizes disturbed slopes and canyon rims. Black bears, deer, and many birds consume the seeds.

Habitat
Canyon walls, rocky slopes, and mountain foothills in the Southwest
Diet
Flowers attract broad-tailed hummingbirds; seeds eaten by birds and small mammals
How common
Common

Best time to see a New Mexico Locust

The best time to see a New Mexico Locust is April–June, when about 63% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 2,141 research-grade iNaturalist observations.

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