False Acacia

False acacia, or Black locust – Latin name Robinia pseudoacacia. Resembles a true acacia but is not. Leaves are much brighter yellow than anything else growing around here – so they are easy to spot.

It’s in the pea family and it is native to the United States. Because it is in the pea family it can do what other peas can, which is to fix nitrogen in the soil, which enriches it.

The ‘Robinia’ in the name is in honour of the royal French gardeners Jean Robin and his son Vespasien Robin who introduced the tree to Europe in 1600.

Here’s another tree I photographed in September 2023 with an Olympus XA2 film camera loaded with Kentmere 100 black and white film.

The tree is a Ginkgo biloba that was growing on Mill Road in Cambridge, looking like it has outgrown its surroundings.

I ask myself why shoot film when digital cameras have overtaken them in image quality and ease of use. Still haven’t got an answer.