locust

[Bowtie]

Im pleased to see all the positive replies about locust, because I took down a good size honey locust over Christmas break, Got it cut, split, and stacked dryin for next year as i type. Heres a few pics of this tree.

 

[Greenthorn]

Black Locust doesn't have thorns on it.

????

Cut a black locust, see what spriggs from the stump the following year....I gaurantee it has thorns. All locust has thorns during one stage of the trees life.
Don't care what all the experts say....locust can't be beat for firewood. IMHO

 

[Gark]

Locust is excellent firewood. It's dense and burns real slow and hot for a long time. Don't even worry about the bark. Wish I had more of the stuff.

 

[Mkarlson]

Around here we generaly only see the thorny trunked Honey Locust and the thorny topped Black Locust....but sometimes you do see a variation. Or maybe a differant named tree. Black locust is used for fence post and split rail fence alot because it is so rot resistant. I dont have any pictures of Honey Locust around handy but would be interesting to have a contest on who can find the biggest thorns maybe throw a ruler or tape measure in the picture for referance.

 

[day52]

There have been some "thornless" varieties developed for landscaping that have few or no thorns. Some have very yellowish leaves especially on the ends of branches which give a nice effect. I wonder if they could possibly cross and form more varieties. I remember my aunt had one (not the yellow) in western Michigan probably 40 plus years ago and it was a pretty good size then--so they have been around awhile.

 

[PA. Woodsman]

????

Cut a black locust, see what spriggs from the stump the following year....I gaurantee it has thorns. All locust has thorns during one stage of the trees life.

The person asking the question asked about the "trees" (meaning full-grown) that have thorns on them; I didn't think that he was asking about what happens when you cut any down.

 

[turnkey4099]

Black locust most assuredly does have thorns on the branches, at least on the smaller ones. Gauranteed that you will find one if you try to pick up a branch bare handed.

As to honey locust. I ordered a batch of seedings that I thought were black locust. They weren't, locust for sure and by the size of the thorns and seed pods I think they are honey locust. Some of the trees have thorns, others don't. Only the ones with seed pods have them so could it be a sex type thing?

Harry K

 

[PA. Woodsman]

Black locust most assuredly does have thorns on the branches, at least on the smaller ones. Gauranteed that you will find one if you try to pick up a branch bare hands.

Well, I've been assuming that this person meant the thorns that are visible on the bark of the tree. Maybe they can chime in here and "clarify" what they meant for us.

 

[stumpguy]

Only the ones with seed pods have them so could it be a sex type thing?

Harry K

i have often wondered about this. i have cut down locust trees that were just full of thorns, then cut down a nearby locust that seemed identical, only to discover it has no thorns at all.

 

[ACE]

Thanks for all the replies fellas. That clears it up for me.