locust tree question

Use Less · #1 07/27/14, 01:53 PM

If I read this right, the ISU site says that locusts come male & female, but both have the sweet-smelling blossoms. Does only the female set the long pods? The local Cornell agent told me the tree is a (native) honey locust.

light rain · #2 07/27/14, 02:49 PM

This is not about the fragrance of locust but a warning.

Back in the early '90's I raked up a lady's yard and brought the leaves (and seed pods) home for mulch for our nice garden. Thought I was being frugal. I was being short-sighted and stupid. I wish I had eradicated when they were still little. Better yet, I wish I had never brought them home.

I am still cursing them and my penchant for procrastination. They spread underground with root systems and I am still fighting them. They do make good fence posts though...

FarmboyBill · #3 07/27/14, 04:08 PM

yep, Wherever you see a locust, youll never see just one. Make good posts and firewood too.

Grandmotherbear · #4 07/27/14, 04:14 PM

Mount Vernon has living fences started with honey locust (Following G Washington's writings) . I found a huge tree in front of the National Portrait Gallery and brought home an immature seed pod. Immature seed pods were an important Native American food source. High protein and sweet-hence the "honey" part.

COWS · #5 07/27/14, 06:33 PM

In my area of the SE, we have two types of locust. Black locust is very decay resistant, makes good fence posts, makes nice lumber if you can find a big enough tree that has not been damaged by insects. They spread by seeds and by sending out long roots which vigrously start new trees.

Honey locust has long seed pods which wildlife love. I have head of people making beer from the pods. The tree makes interesting reddish lumber. The tree is not very decay resistant and I have never made fence posts from it. It does not start trees from the roots AFIK. Both varieties generously produce thorns.

COWS

light rain · #6 07/27/14, 06:42 PM

We have the black locust.

bigjon · #7 07/27/14, 06:57 PM

black locust here too,makes nice barn beams.

dizzy · #8 07/27/14, 07:24 PM

Only the female will get the seed pods.

ETA: Some sites list honey locust as having both male and female(monecious), others list it as having separate sexes (dioecious).

cloudhidden · #9 07/27/14, 08:04 PM

I have a horrible problem w them on my property. The neighbor had several mature ones cut down and they're popping up everywhere. I don't use chemicals and have found no practical way to get rid of them, so I have begun coppicing them. When they get to about 5" diameter, I cut them down and start again. I'm too small and inexperienced w felling trees to allow them to get bigger than that,
The people whom life hands lemons probably have it easier than the ones life hands black locusts! Lol

FarmboyBill · #10 07/27/14, 08:11 PM

I found them very useful for both posts and firewood. They were easy to cut on a buzz saw.

cloudhidden · #11 07/27/14, 08:20 PM

I don't have a wood stove but am simply piling it up as a valuable resource which I can at least barter for. Firewood can always find a taker!

cloudhidden · #12 07/27/14, 08:21 PM

Still, lemons don't have thorns! ;-)

Awnry Abe · #13 07/27/14, 08:48 PM

Black locusts are nice to have around. They grow out of their thorniness pretty early and develop into nice trees. Honey locusts, OTOH, are the curse in foliage.

copperkid3 · #14 07/27/14, 09:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cloudhidden

Still, lemons don't have thorns! ;-)

+ + + + + + + + + +
many varieties of citrus trees do have thorns.

http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edib...trus-trees.htm

cloudhidden · #15 07/27/14, 09:16 PM

Wow! I stand corrected. Haha

Danaus29 · #16 07/27/14, 09:57 PM

All my citrus trees have thorns.

Honey locust thorns are NASTY MEAN!!!! They'll go through a tractor tire. I knew a guy in school who stepped on one that went right through his boot sole, foot, and out the top of the boot. Black locust thorns are mean, I've got them in my foot before, but not as bad as honey locust.

I don't know about the male and female trees, but we had a single black locust tree near the barn. Produced seed pods nearly every year.

cloudhidden · #17 07/27/14, 10:37 PM

All mine produce the seed pods.

The only thing around my place that's more painful than a black locust thorn is an Osage orange thorn!
I have one in my yard which was planted by Oregon trail settlers. I am fortunate enough to have a male, so I don't have any dropping hedge apples. I can't say enough good things about the Osage orange. It's a much more cooperative plant than the locusts.

FarmboyBill · #18 07/28/14, 08:26 AM

OO makes a good post, and a HOT burning firewood.
Bad thing about them as a post is that you cant drive a steeple in them without bending it.

Bad thing about them as firewood, is that they can burn the stove down. Don't ask how I know that lol.

light rain · #19 07/28/14, 08:37 AM

Last winter when we had cold, snow and lots of wind for extended periods of time I took a walk outside. While attempting not to fall on the ice-crusted snow I saw something that sent shivers up my spine (besides the cold).

On top of that icy crust were hundreds/thousands of seed pods from the locust trees. I guess that had been happening for many winters but I had never been out looking around at the optimum time...