Botanical Information
- Native habitat: Pennsylvania to Georgia, west to Iowa, Missouri and Oklahoma.
- Growth habit: Often upright with a straight trunk. ...
- Tree size: Choose cultivars in the 20- to 30-foot range. ...
- Flower and fruit: Flowers are perfect, white or rose-pink, 1 inch across and borne in May in 4- to 8-inch-long racemes. ...
Is Locust good firewood?
Overall, locust is a great firewood to burn. By cutting down these rapidly growing trees you'll not only help control its invasive tendencies, but you'll keep your house very warm in the process. Black locust firewood will produce 27.9 million BTU's per cord.
Do locust trees have seed pods?
Seed Pods. The female honey locust trees produce long, flat and twisted fruits (or seed pods). The pale green seed pods turn reddish-brown and black, when they mature. As they ripen, the seed pods produce a strong smell. The sticky pulp inside the pods are edible. These seed pods fall off the tree during winter.
When do honey locust trees lose their leaves?
They typically are one of the last trees to get leaves in spring and usually begin losing their leaves in mid-August. This year, they were a little later coming out in spring and did not have as many flowers as usual.
Do black locust trees have deep roots?
While a number of sources state that black locust is commonly shallow-rooted (reviews by [72,167,312]), the species occasionally develops deep roots (review by [167]). Vertical roots were found at 20 to 25 feet (6.1-7.6 m) in the Southwest (review by [167]) and 21 feet (6 m) in the Oklahoma panhandle [42].
See more
What is a locust tree good for?
Black locust wood is useful for lumber, paper pulp, posts, and fuel. This clone growing in Hungary is straighter than most trees in North America, where borer insects and heredity typically produce crooked trunks. Fig.
Where do honey locust trees grow?
honey locust, (genus Gleditsia), also called locust, genus of 12 species of thorny trees or shrubs in the pea family (Fabaceae). Honey locusts are native to North and South America, tropical Africa, and central and eastern Asia.
How do you identify a locust tree?
2:124:12How to Identify Locust Trees - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipIt reaches 40 to 70 feet tall a pair of short sharp spines occur where the leaf attaches to the stemMoreIt reaches 40 to 70 feet tall a pair of short sharp spines occur where the leaf attaches to the stem stouter. Spines are present on the branches. And trunk which are sometimes branched.
Are black locust trees native to North America?
Black locust is native to the southeastern United States, but has been widely planted and naturalized elsewhere in temperate North America, Europe and Asia. The original range of the locust is in the Appalachian, Ozark and Ouachita range located in the middle mountains of Eastern North America.
What is the difference between honey locust and black locust?
Conclusions. Honey locusts can be distinguished from Black Locusts by their longer, widespread thorns and longer seedpods. The bark of the two trees is also quite different in color and shape, and the Black Locusts flowers are large, showy white clusters, while those of the Honey Locust are creamy and insignificant.
Is a locust tree a good tree?
Locust trees are excellent for erosion control and tolerate urban pollution and road salt spray well, so they are good trees to plant on graded areas and near roads and driveways. Some locusts grow quite tall, so allow enough space between trees that they will not be crowded when they reach their mature height.
Why are they called locust trees?
"Locust" comes from the Latin locusta, meaning both "locust" (the insect) and "lobster". By analogy with a levantine use of the Greek word for the insect, akris, for the pods of the carob tree which supposedly resembled it, the pod-bearing North American tree was called "locust" starting in the 1630s.
Are locust trees good for firewood?
Black Locust is one of the best burning firewoods available in North America. When properly seasoned it puts off an enormous amount of heat (nearly 30 BTU) and precious little smoke. In fact, Black Locust smokes much less than other types of firewood popular with those who heat their homes with firewood.
What falls from a locust tree?
Members of the pea family, locust trees produce large clusters of pea-like flowers that bloom in spring, followed by long pods. You might think that the name “honey locust” comes from the sweet nectar that bees use to make honey, but it actually refers to the sweet fruit that is a treat for many types of wildlife.
How much is a black locust tree worth?
Prices for these products range from $1 – $3 per linear foot for whole posts, and from $1.50 – $3.50/board foot for milled lumber, which is far above the prices for most conventional hardwood lumber.
Do locust trees grow in Michigan?
Black locust is native to the southern Appalachians and the Ozarks, where it occurs on slopes and forest edges. It has been planted in 48 states and was noted as spreading in jack pine barrens in Michigan as early as 1888. It tolerates a wide range of soil conditions, and spreads clonally as well as by seed.
Where can you grow black locust?
Black locust develops and grows best in cove or mixed mesophytic forests of the central and southern Appalachian Region. These forests are usually highly productive and characterized by a large and variable number of species. The species is often a component of mature forest on such sites but is seldom very abundant.
Are honey locust trees good for anything?
Honey locust wood is very dense, shock resistant, and commonly used in the timber industry. The durable wood is often used for fence posts, railroad ties, pallets, tool handles, and fuel, given that it can be easily split and is rot-resistant.
Are honey locust trees valuable?
Honeylocust, despite the nasty thorns, does produce beautifully colored lumber; however, honeylocust is traditionally considered a low to lower value species -- especially by timber buyers. However, honeylocust lumber sawn and sold by custom sawmill operators is often sold for a premium price.
Are honey locust trees beneficial?
Thickets of this tree can also provide excellent wildlife cover since the thorns will help keep predators out. The flowers are a good source of nectar for bees and other pollinators. The honey locust is a host plant for several moth and butterfly caterpillars.
Is honey locust tree poisonous?
This plant can become a nuisance, and will dominate a site if left unchecked or mismanaged. Honey locust can produce numerous thorns that are capable of puncturing implement tires. Though not listed as a toxic plant, contact with thorns often results in sore wounds that are slow to heal.
What is a locust tree?
Locust trees are fast-growing flowering trees that belong to a family of flowering plants called Fabaceae. The most common types of locust trees are the black locust and honey locust tree. Locust trees are hardy trees that are known for their hard and durable wood, fragrant sweet spring flowers, and colorful fall foliage.
How long does a locust tree live?
Locust trees can live for over a hundred years, and the wood is one of the hardest woods from any deciduous tree. Locust tree lumber is exceptionally durable and the timber is excellent for making furniture, fence posts, flooring, and small boats. Compared to honey locust timber, black locust wood is more common.
What is the botanical name for a honey locust tree?
Species of honey locust trees with the botanical term “ inermis ”—a Latin word meaning “harmless” or “defenseless”—in the name are thornless varieties of the species.
How to tell if a locust tree is black or honey?
The leaves on honey locust trees appear slightly earlier than on black locust trees. One way to tell honey locusts apart from black locust trees is that the leaves have no leaflet at the tip. Also, honey locust tree leaves tend to be a lighter shade of green than the “black” variety.
What is the difference between a black and honey locust tree?
The species of locust trees are divided into two genera: Robinia and Gleditsia. Black locust trees are in the Robinia genus, while honey locust trees are in the Gleditsia genus . The name “honey” comes from the fact that honey locust trees have pods with sweet taste.
How long do black locust leaves grow?
The leaves on black locust trees are pinnately compound and grow to about 10” (25 cm) long. The small oval or ovoid leaflets on each leaf are about the size of your thumbprint. Compared to honey locust trees, black locust tree leaves are a darker green color.
How big are locust thorns?
Leaves of black locust tree. Another identifying feature of locust trees is their sharp thorns that can measure 1.2” to 4” (3 – 10 cm) long. These prickly spikes can grow singularly or on thorned branches. They are extremely tough and can easily puncture the skin. Locust tree thorns.
Where do locusts grow?
Locusts are part of the pea family, Fabaceae, and can take the form of both trees and shrubs. They are all native to regions across North America, where they have since been cultivated for multiple reasons, including for use as hedging or erosion control. There are several different varieties of ...
What is the most popular type of locust tree?
Black Locust – Robinia pseudoacacia. The black locust tree is one of the most popular types of locust trees, probably because it has so many uses and is so easy to grow. It grows very quickly, in a variety of conditions.
How does a black locust tree help the environment?
It will cope well with drought, poor soil quality, high salt levels, and air pollution. The black locust tree is actually said to be able to improve the quality of the soil it is growing in, removing nitrogen from the air and releasing it into the soil. The tree is hardy through USDA growing zones 4 to 8.
How big does a honey locust tree grow?
Reaching heights of 100 feet in the wild, this tree will typically grow to between 40 and 70 feet when cultivated.
Why is a honey locust tree considered a weed?
Unfortunately, over-cultivation has led to an increase in pests and diseases that affect the tree. In some areas, the tree has also become invasive to the point of being considered a weed. In farmland, it grows so quick that crops and grasses are poor competition against it. It also prevents animals from reaching natural waterways by creating barriers along rivers.
Why is black locust wood so hard to cut?
However, it makes a brilliant source of firewood because its high density means it takes a long time to burn. This makes it much more efficient firewood than many others.
How tall do black locust trees grow?
Black locust trees are native to North America, and some examples can be found growing to heights of over 80 feet, though they typically grow to somewhere between 40 and 60 feet, with a large canopy spreading 30 feet across.
What is a locust tree?
Image by emilio100. Members of the pea family, locust trees produce large clusters of pea-like flowers that bloom in spring, followed by long pods. You might think that the name “honey locust” comes from the sweet nectar that bees use to make honey, but it actually refers to the sweet fruit that is a treat for many types of wildlife.
What is the difference between a locust tree and an impcole tree?
These varieties produce dappled shade under their canopies—ideal conditions for a flower border. ‘Impcole’ is a compact, thornless variety with a dense, rounded canopy.
Do locust trees have thorns?
Except for a few thornless honey locust varieties, locust trees have fierce thorns that grow in pairs along the trunk and lower branches. Read on to find out how to grow a locust tree.
Do locust trees fix nitrogen?
You might think because of their relation to legumes, these trees fix nitrogen to the soil. Well, that isn’t the case for all locust trees. The honey locust is a non-nitrogen producing legume and may require regular annual fertilization with a balanced fertilizer. The other locust tree varieties, especially black locust, do fix nitrogen, ...
What type of tree is a locust?
Types of Locust Tree: Identify Locust Trees with Pictures. Written by Lindsey Glenn in Tree. Locust trees belong to a family of flowering plants called Fabaceae, they are fast growing. The locust trees have good hardwood and extraordinarily colorful flowers, which bloom in spring.
How big do locust trees get?
It is the largest of the locust tree variety, which can go up to 80 feet in height. The flowers are greenish-yellow in color and not so attractive as other locust trees. The flowers bloom in the late spring and early summer. It has the biggest and the fiercest of thorns. They come in branches and can be 20 inches long. The pods of the tree are largest in size ranging from 10 inches to 18 inches. Being that long and flat, often, the seed pods also get twisted. The tree derives its name, honey locust tree, because of the sweet taste of these pods. The USDA suggests zone 4 through 9 as being the most suitable for this species.
How tall is a black locust?
The black locust has smaller pods: sized from two to four inches. The pods have a leathery texture and are dark red to black in color. Next to the honey locust, this is the tallest of the locust tree with a height of 70 feet. The thorns are present where the leaves join the stem.
What is the family of locusts?
The locust tree has many natural varieties and cultivars, and all of them belong to one of the two genera of the locust tree, namely, Robinia or Gleditsia. One of the most famous representatives of the Robinia genus is the Black Locust tree. The famous Honey locust tree belongs to the family Gedistisia.
How big are honey locust pods?
The pods of the tree are largest in size ranging from 10 inches to 18 inches. Being that long and flat, often, the seed pods also get twisted. The tree derives its name, honey locust tree, because of the sweet taste of these pods. The USDA suggests zone 4 through 9 as being the most suitable for this species.
What animals eat black locusts?
Animals, like cattle, deer, rabbits, and squirrels, love eating it. The black locusts have smaller pods of about 4 inches, but it contains up to 14 seeds. These pods are not edible. The Mexican locust tree and the bristly locust tree have smaller pods around 2 inches long with hairs on them.
What are the characteristics of a locust tree?
The most prominent identification feature of a locust tree is its unique thorns, the pods, the sweetly fragrant flowers, and the leaves. In the spring, you can see sweet fragrant pea-shaped flowers hanging in clusters all over the tree. The flowers are generally white or pink in color.
What is a locust tree?
Natives to North America, locust trees are a hardy and fast-growing flowering plant belong to the Fabaceae family. And you can easily identify a locust tree with beautiful, lace-like pinnate (or compound) leaves that fall like grapes from long branches, then drooping plumes (racemes) of white, often sweetly scented white flowers, that look a bit like sweet peas.
What are the two types of locust trees?
However, even though there are more than 22 species of locust trees, the two most popular types of locust trees are Gleditsia triacanthos (honey locust ) and Robinia pseudoacacia (black locust).
Why are locust trees so popular?
Locust trees are wonderful plants for many reasons; their foliage, their shape, their beautiful, bountiful and sweet smelling flowers, then the pods come and they add an extra touch to their intricate beauty … The list goes on…#N#Some are massive trees, like the African locust bean, while others are bushes you can grow in small back gardens, like the bristly locust tree, and you can find one that fits and suits many types of gardens and hopefully your taste too…#N#But there is more… these trees have contributed to the economy of whole regions, providing food (with their beans and even flowers), even very rare vitamins, some have medicinal qualities, but they have also given shade in hot places and very precious wood.
What is a bristly locust tree?
Bristly Locust Tree (Robinia hispida) Also known as moss locust, or rose acacia, this locust variety is a shrub that has very lush, deep to dark green leaves with round leaflets and pink to purple flowers that come is clusters of fairly small, but eye catching racemes.
How tall is a sage plant?
It is fairly tolerant to drought, bit not to overwatering and flooding, so, it will need very well drained soil. Size: 30 to 50 feet tall (9 to 15 meters) and 20 to 35 feet in spread (6 to 10 meters). Hardiness: it is hardy to USDA zones 4 to 9.
What does a spruce trunk look like?
The trunk, in fact, which can become fairly large, grows straight and then branches off with balance and elegance to create what look like large fronds of foliage that arch and droop, especially when the rich, generous and scented flowers fill them with white.
How big do carob trees get?
The trunk of the carob tree is a work of art by Mother Nature; with large, smooth, muscular ribs of hard, dark wood, they can grow to be 5 feet wide (1.5 meters). This tree will tend to grow in spread rather than height, giving it its distinctive protective look, like a wise old man guarding your garden.
Black Locust Tree Facts
Growth Rate – Black Locust Trees can grow up to 4′ per year when young. Typically 2′ per year once several years old.
Black Locust Native Range
The primary Native Range of Black Locust is centered in the Appalachian Mountains from Alabama to Pennsylvania, centered in Tennessee and West Virginia. However isolated pockets were also created during glacial retreat in Missouri, Illinois, and Arkansas.
How to identify Black Locust Trees
Mature Black Locust Trees will grow on average 50′-80′ tall (15m-24m) and have an irregular crown shape. The branching on a Black Locust tree is typically upwards.
Thorns
Thorns occur along the smaller branches and twigs which are about 1/2″ long, and occur in pairs. These thorns are quite sharp, and can cause minor injury if you grab a branch or sapling.
Leaves
Black Locust Tree leaves are compound alternate leaves in an overall arrangement that is approximately 6-18″ long by ~4″ wide. The individual leaflets are about 1-2″ long by roughly half as wide, with a rounded shape. Leaves will have a light green color early, changing to blueish-green color when mature.
Flowers
In late Spring on Black Locust Trees, groups of white flowers will form and hang down from the branches in beautiful arrangements. The overall cluster will be 4-7″ long, and look like dangling cluster of pea-like flowers that are very fragrant. An individual flower is approximately 1″ long with 5 petals that are white in color.
Seed Production
The flowers will give way to seedpods that are approximately 2-4″ long by 1/2″ wide and hang down much like the preceding flowers. Each pod will contain roughly 2-12 seeds that are hard, 1/4″ diameter, and have a rounded shape but very flat.
What is a locust tree?
Natives to North America, locust trees are well-known for their strong wood and fall foliage. This article provides a brief overview about the common types of locusts that are also popular as landscape trees. Locust wood is so hard and durable that it is used for making rails and fence posts. As a young man, President Abraham Lincoln used ...
How to identify a locust tree?
In order to identify a locust tree; check the size of the tree, the color and texture of its bark, shape and arrangement of leaflets, flower color and structure, and nature of seed pods and thorns.
How many leaflets does a black locust have?
The leaves are pinnately compound, with a length of around 25 centimeters. Each leaf has nine to nineteen leaflets, that are roughly oval. The leaflets resemble our thumbprints, in size and shape. Each leaf has a single leaflet at the tip. The leaves turn yellowish during autumn. The legume fruit contains seeds. As compared to some other locust species, the seed pods of the black locust are small and light.
How many species of locusts are there in the genus Robinia?
While the genus Gleditsia has 12 species, there are around ten species in the genus Robinia. The most popular among them are Robinia pseudoacacia (black locust) and Gleditsia triacanthos (honey locust). Both are deciduous, and are grown as landscape trees. You may also come across different locust cultivars.
What are the thorns on a honey locust tree?
Honey locusts carry thorns on their branches, and at the base of leaves. These thorns are longer (around 3 to 10 cm); and are seen in dense clusters. The young and tender thorns are green and soft. As they age, the thorns turn harder and reddish brown. Fully mature thorns are brittle, and are usually ash gray in color. The tree is also known as thorny locust.
What are the characteristics of a black locust tree?
One of the characteristic features of this tree is the short, prickly thorns that are located at the base of the leaves. The thorns of black locust trees are short, when compared to that of honey locusts.
Why is honey locust called honey locust?
The name may be derived from the sweetness of the pulp that is also used for making beer. Its timber is highly valued for making furniture, as it is hard and durable. The seeds pods are used as fodder for livestock. Like black locust, different parts of the honey locust tree are also used for medicinal purposes.
Where do honey locusts grow?
What is a Honey Locust? Honey locust ( Gleditsia triacanthos) is a tree that is native to parts of the eastern U.S., as far north as Kentucky and Pennsylvania, and as far west as Texas and Nebraska, but it can grow in many areas.
How tall does a honey locust tree grow?
In the wild this tree will grow up to 100 feet (30 m.) and beyond, but in landscaping it usually tops out at 30 to 70 feet (9 to 21 m.). The leaves of the honey locust are compound, with several small leaflets on a single stem. These small leaflets turn yellow in fall.
What is a honey locust?
Honey locust is a popular deciduous landscaping tree, especially in cities, where it is used for shade and because the small leaves do not need to be collected in the fall . A little bit of honey locust information is all you need to start growing this tree in your yard.
Can you buy a locust tree from a nursery?
When you buy a tree from your nursery, find out what to look for and what steps you should take to prevent infestations, if possible. Unfortunately, the truth is that honey locust has been overused in landscaping and avoiding all pests or diseases may not be possible . As a result, your tree may be short-lived as compared to its native counterpart ...
Can honey locusts tolerate salt?
Make sure you create a large hole for your tree because honey locust has a large, coarse root ball. It will tolerate a variety of soils, but avoid salt, higher pH levels, and drought conditions to avoid the stress that will make it more vulnerable to disease and pest infestations.
Do locust trees have thorns?
The tree naturally grows long, sharp thorns but, again, if you’re interested in growing honey locust trees, there are cultivars that do not have thorns.
Do honey locusts turn yellow?
These small leaflets turn yellow in fall. They are too small to pick up, but they also will not block drains, and this has made the tree popular for city street landscaping. The honey locust does produce large, dark brown, twisted seed pods in the fall, which can create a mess. Picking them up is advised, but you can find cultivars ...
Cultivation
Appearance
- The tree has attractive gray-brown bark and an open, graceful canopy with tiny, oval leaves. Unlike large-leaved trees, the lacey leaves of honey locust allow sunlight to filter to the ground below so grass and plants can grow. The fruit of the honey locust is a pod, which has edible pulp on the inside.
Symptoms
- In the fall, the leaves turn yellow. Because of their size, honey locust leaves are difficult to rake up, but they tend to dry up and blow away on their own eventually, although they can get tracked into the house if the tree is planted near an entryway.
Description
- Sunburst has yellow leaves that emerge in the spring and turn green as they mature. Shademaster has dark green foliage and open, ascending branches. Black locust trees grow 70 feet tall, although most trees range between 30 and 50 feet tall. The trees have small, blue-green leaves with a compound, alternate form like honey locust trees. In the spring, the tree is covered …
Risks
- In some areas, cankers and root collar rot are serious problems for honey locust trees. Cankers first appear as flattened or discolored surfaces on the branches and trunk of the tree. Over time, cankers can spread and completely girdle the tree, causing tree death. Cankers also cause slow growth, yellowing leaves or sparse leaves. Root collar rot is a similar disorder that appears at th…
Prevention
- To prevent canker and root collar rot, keep trees vigorous and healthy. Water during dry periods, especially if the tree isnt in an irrigated lawn. Be careful when mowing around the tree not to injure the trunk because injuries provide an entry point for these diseases. Prune out infected branches, cutting limbs at least 12 inches below the infected area. Disinfect pruning tools between cuts wi…
Uses
- Black locust trees are known for their strong wood. Pioneers were said to have used the wood to make nails for building ships. Black locust wood makes a long burning firewood, as well, although the wood is difficult to cut. The wood is rot-resistant and makes excellent fence posts or raised beds. The trees are used infrequently as landscape trees for a few reasons. First, although the w…
Writing
- When shes not writing about gardening, food and canning, Julie Christensen enjoys spending time in her gardens, which include perennials, vegetables and fruit trees. Shes written hundreds of gardening articles for the Gardening Channel, Garden Guides and San Francisco Gate, as well as several e-books.