The robinia was named by the botanist Linné after Jean Robin (gardener to King Henry IV of France), who sowed the first seeds in Paris. The "acacia” has a very hard, durable wood. Its flowers can be made into fritters and eaten, while acacia honey is considered to be one of the finest spring honeys. Acacia flowers are also used in perfumery.
The black locust grows in many places throughout the world, but L'OCCITANE chose to use a robinia extract from Tunisia to enrich the acacia-flower version of its famous Ultra Rich Body Cream.