Two different Locust splits, ID?

[Machria]

Ok, cut up a downed Locust tree a few weeks ago. A few days ago, I cut up a second one which was in the same woods about 50 yards from the first one. The 2nd one was a much larger tree.

The smaller ones wood is much brighter in color, very yellowish. Hard to see in the pics, the real color is lost in the pic. I'll try to get better pics with better lighting one day.

The larger one has a little bit smoother bark, but they both have the X patern in the bark, and both barks are thick, soft, brown/tan.

Both are heavy and hard with the same woodgrain, and split very easy. Both smell disctinctly like olives.

Is one Black Locust, and the other Honey Locust? Or are the differences just based on the size of the tree?

 

[Jon1270]

Of the two, the larger split is more likely to be honey locust (based on the color and bark), but I'm more knowledgeable about lumber than firewood, and tend to look closely at smooth, machined surfaces rather than splits so I'm not all that useful here. I do know that honey and black locust are very different species that share some physical characteristics and a common name; their growing close together would be a coincidence.

 

[weezer4117]

To me, they both appear to be black locust based off of the wood grain. Honey locust will have some pink color towards the center.

 

[Jon1270]

FWIW, I don't disagree with Weezer. If somebody asked me which was black and which was honey I'd answer small and large respectively, but if someone just asked what they each were I'd say both were black.

 

[ChrisNJ]

They are both Black Locust, Honey Locust looks nothing like that.

 

[Hickorynut]

They are both black locust. Sometimes how healthy a locust is can determine the degree of yellow in the tree. A dead, dying or one with rot places may be darker. As a locust split dries it gets darker too which follows the same logic. The bark variation that is shown is withing the normal realm. How I know??? My three acre yard is full of locusts

 

[Elusive]

How I know??? My three acre yard is full of locusts

Mine too!. I've been waiting for one to fall over and now two have I've got work to do.

 

[Machria]

Awesome, thanks guys. Got a full cord from these two tree's, will be HOT in here next winter!

FYI, both of these tree's were healthy, they both just came down at the roots (roots pulled in swampy muddy water soaked ground) from the Hurricane.

 

[Thistle]

Honey Locust has salmon-pink heartwood & 'scaly plates' for bark.Much different than BL.

Both very close in density & heat value however.

 

[Ralphie Boy]

Black locust you have there. Trees of the same kind can grow 50' apart and look much different. Honey Locust, as stated by others, has a salmon pink wood, scaly bark and, unless its nursery stock, man eating spike thorns all over it.

 

[Machria]

WOW, you date each one of your splits?

 

[lukem]

The bigger a black locust gets, the deeper the furrows in the bark (as illustrated by your first pic). The wood will vary in color from yellow to tan to green and the inner bark is usually a rusty color. If you peel the bark it will have a fine paper-like film under it.

 

[lukem]

WOW, you date each one of your splits?

I RFID tag mine. I though everyone did that.

 

[Thistle]

WOW, you date each one of your splits?

LOL those arent splits - they're slabs I milled for future woodworking projects,woodturning/bowl blanks,small benches or for individual sale on Ebay/Craigslist. I seal the ends with a commercial lumber/log sealer to slow down the drying process,keep them either in the shop or outside under cover for 2-3 yrs until they're ready for use.

 

[Paulywalnut]

They sure are some pretty splits!

 

[ScotO]

Yep, they're both black locust. Honey locust has a white sapwood and pink heartwood, along with much thinner bark......

You've got some good stuff there!!