Locust

[USMC80]

I was down in Staunton VA with my wife last weekend for a wedding and ran into this. I told her I thought it was locust and showed her the massive thorns. She thought i was a little weird being so excited seeing this for the first time. Was I right? It's locust?

 

[Woody Stover]

Yeah, leaves are classic. Honey, I guess??

 

[USMC80]

Awesome, was really cool to finally see one. Those thorns are insane!

 

[Coal Reaper]

theres plenty of black here in NJ. they dont have as impressive thorns as the honey. keep an eye out for it!

 

[midwestcoast]

I thank my stars that all the Locust I see around here are ones bred to be yard trees without thorns. Haven't got to cut any Honey yet, but have a cord or so of Black in the 14/15 stacks.
With all the Oak & Mulberry available around here I don't think I'd be touching that nightmare with a 10 foot bar.

 

[Flatbedford]

I have never seen a thorn on the Black Locust around me. Those are scary thorns there! I see lots like that in the parks of New York City.

 

[NortheastAl]

I'm lucky to have the thornless honey locust. Those thorns in the pic are evil looking. I've taken branches off the honey locust and I can tell you it burns long and slow and hardly rots.

 

[Ralphie Boy]

I've got 2 of those devils in my front yard. Makes a good shade tree but the thorns are tuff on tractor tire, shoe soles and the like. I also have almost a cord of it in my stacks. Takes longer than black locust to dry and puts out slightly less heat than black locust but not so you'd notice.

 

[bogydave]

WOW
Not a climbing tree

 

[Flatbedford]

Yikes Maybe that's why they planted them in the NYC parks?

 

[Wood Duck]

The wild Honey Locust near here sometimes have tons of thorns like the ones in the pictures, and sometimes have only a few. Ridiculous thorns, if you ask me. What beast are the thorns meant to keep away from the tree? The thorns are so big and the clumps of thorns so far apart most animals can easily avoid them. I have read the thorns are a holdover from the Pleistocene when mastodons and wooly mammoths were running around North America.

 

[midwestcoast]

The wild Honey Locust near here sometimes have tons of thorns like the ones in the pictures, and sometimes have only a few. Ridiculous thorns, if you ask me. What beast are the thorns meant to keep away from the tree? The thorns are so big and the clumps of thorns so far apart most animals can easily avoid them. I have read the thorns are a holdover from the Pleistocene when mastodons and wooly mammoths were running around North America.

Yup, sure looks Mastodon-proof to me!

 

[Flatbedford]

They way Black Locust grows, it sometimes looks like giant prehistoric vegetable to me. Something a brontosaurus might rub up against to scratch his back.

 

[Applesister]

I think the fernlike leaves and the flowers are what caused the tree to have nursery stock made of the thornless varieties. I did a little research on Shipmast Locust and wanted to plant seedlings. Along with Honey crisp apples. But anyway Honeylocust is one word to seperate its genus from Black locust. They are not related and Honeylocust is not really a locust. Its an ancient name given by early settlers relating the tree to a European locust. None of the latin names are similar. These are like biblical names. Its fun research to look up. Tree trivia.
The seed pods are supposed to be attractive to livestock, perhaps the sap as well. Ive seen this wood milled and the knots created by the thorns make an interesting pattern that is similar to birds eye maple. Very pretty wood.

 

[ScotO]

I cut four wild honey locusts down a couple years back that had thorns EXACTLY like the ones in your pics. And a 5" thorn does NOT feel good when you bury it into your thigh....trust me, I know from experience....

some of the thorns on the trees we cut were upwards of 8" long, and were very sharp. Found clusters of them grown into the tree, too....
But, in the end, that stuff is FANTASTIC firewood. I have 9 cord of honey and black locust, I love it so much I hate to burn it!!