Black Locust in New York?

[brooktrout]

I know Black Locust is native to southeastern U.S, and has spread invasivly to other areas, but does anyone know if it is in New York?

 

[Eric Johnson]

I think it grows in much of the state. We have some here in Central New York. Further to the north in the Adirondacks, there isn't any. It must be too cold or the wrong soil conditions. I bet there's a lot in the Catskills and Southern Tier. But there's a nice stand a couple miles from my house.

I'm from Wisconsin originally, and there's a lot of it growing there, as well. As a kid, I used to cut the saplings and paint the stumps with a mixture of fuel oil and 24-D. There are fenceposts on my parent's tree farm dating from WWII (or before) made of black locust. And it's about the best firewood you can find.

 

[berlin]

"Further to the north in the Adirondacks, there isn’t any"

not the case. black locust exists up into quebec, and right up to malone, tupper lake, old forge, saranac lake and lyon mtn., ny... all very cold locations. there are trees on family land next to the boquet river in essex county that are 5-8' in diameter.

 

[woodconvert]

I know Black Locust is native to southeastern U.S, and has spread invasivly to other areas, but does anyone know if it is in New York?

We've got em' here in Michigan, not huge stands of them any more but there are decent pockets of them. I've cut them in both sandy and clay soil so if they are here i'm sure they are in NY.

 

[hookspacken]

I took a bunch from a homeowner in Clifton Park, NY over the summer. They were clearing out some area. ALso got some Oak and Cherry.

 

[moondoggy]

yea i got locust.
honestly man i almost consider it a weed...
left alone Locust seems to sprout new shoots/saplings up from root runners. if your ever weeding and pull a small locust tree you'll see its connected
to other small locusts around it.

 

[Eric Johnson]

"Further to the north in the Adirondacks, there isn’t any"

not the case. black locust exists up into quebec, and right up to malone, tupper lake, old forge, saranac lake and lyon mtn., ny... all very cold locations. there are trees on family land next to the boquet river in essex county that are 5-8' in diameter.

I'm checking with my sources, but I've never seen any around Old Forge or in the Central Adirondacks, and that's the kind of thing you think I'd notice. As to further north, I'll take your word for it.

 

[gpcollen1]

I thought that Honey Locust was the more dominant locust species in the northeast? I am going to have to check my dendro books and get back to you...

Edit: It looks like the range of Honey is much larger than Black - but the book both shows them barely entering NY State.

I will stick by my memory and say that Honey Locust is more prevalent than Black though I do not think there are large tracts of either ...

 

[moondoggy]

ok i dont know the difference... i gotta look that up.
maybe its honey locust i have.....never actually tasted it.





nope just checked online.
i have black locust

 

[Henz]

we've gone around this topic before. I know that I cut up locust last spring, we have alot of it around here in the Adks, particulalry growing around the lakes. I dont think that it is black locust though, no thorns..I believe that it would be a honey locust.

 

[Eric Johnson]

As usual, I stand corrected.

Here's what a consultant forester friend of mine has to say on the topic of Black Locust in the Town of Webb, which is the heart of the Central Adirondacks:

"There is some in Inlet, by a camp on fifth lake and also near the
Adirondack Reader bookstore. This is planted, of course (or
naturalized from previous planting). I'm pretty comfortable saying
that there isn't any naturally occurring black locust in the Town of
Webb. If I were looking for some that was planted, I'd check near
the cemetery and all of the back streets."

 

[DiscoInferno]

There may be locust in downstate MI, but I don't think there's much if any in the UP.

 

[Henz]

Eric, what would he say about Honey Locust??? or any locust in general??