How to tell Black Locust From Honey Locust tree?

Re: How to tell Black Locust From Honey Locust tre

Bruce, a MN Galoot

Sounds like the honey locust that used to be in my front yard. I loathed that tree. It took great delight in making me bleed anytime I got within 5’ of it. It sent up suckers all over the lawn. Mr. Chainsaw and I got our revenge, though.

Re: How to tell Black Locust From Honey Locust tre

JohnV

Back locust Big thorns & little leaves

Honey locust Little thorns and big leaves

Re: How to tell Black Locust From Honey Locust tre

John McGaw

According to my Peterson guide: Honey Locust should have twice-compound leaves and branched thorns several inches long bark is somewhat scaly. Black Locust should have once-compound leaves and stout 1/2" to 1" paired thorns; bark on old trunks dark and deeply-ridged. Looking at the illustrations in the book they don't have more than a passing similarity. I could probably scan their identification plate and email it to you if that might help.

Re: How to tell Black Locust From Honey Locust tre

Lee Schierer in McKean, PA

The honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos), also known as the thorny locust, is a deciduous tree in the Fabaceae family, native to central North America.

Robinia pseudoacacia, commonly known in its native territory as black locust, is a medium-sized deciduous tree native to the southeastern United States.

Both species have been planted in other areas, both have thorns, wood from both is decay resistant.

Lee

OOPS

JohnV

old boy scout id guide. at 75 I remembered wrong. just the opposite

Decay

Mark Mandell - Gone Round In New Jersey

Old saying is that "a locust post will outlast two post holes".

Re: How to tell Black Locust From Honey Locust tre

Don Orr

For what it's worth, I have honey locust in my yard with no thorns. Only 1 of them produces seed pods.

Re: How to tell Black Locust From Honey Locust tre

Tom Dunlap

Honey locust don't alway have evil thorns nor double compound leaves.

The leaflets on HL are much smaller than BL

The branch structure is very different between the two. Once you know the fractal pattern of the trees you'll be able to easily ID them

there are plenty of picture ID sites available.

Re: How to tell Black Locust From Honey Locust tre

Barry Irby

Thanks to all. Pretty sure its a Honey locust. The leaves (leafs?) are beginning to fall and are too high for me to examine the structure.

At this point my real question is whether the wood is really decay resistant. Might be worth collecting.

Re: How to tell Black Locust From Honey Locust tre *LINK*

Keith Newton

Another option might be Water Locust, which has even more thorns than HL. The easiest way to distinguish them is the WL has a single bean in the pod, while the HL usually has large pods with lots.

Everybody knows BL is decay and insect resistant wood after harvesting and processing. However the growing tree, at least around AR is prone to getting a fungus that probably has a symbiotic relationship with carpenter ants. When a branch is lost, the ants can excavate the corky pith. Once they are established, they are bringing in lots of food for the queen and larva and who knows what all they track in, but AIR now has access which is a necessary ingredient for decay.

Sometimes they’re tunnels and heart decay gets into the juvenile wood, which in most species is inferior to the rest of the heartwood.


https://www.wood-database.com/honey-locust/

Me too!

Re: How to tell Black Locust From Honey Locust tre

John Veerkamp

Honey locust can have spectacular figure similar to quilted maple. It turns great and finishes nicely. I've turned some really nice big platters end grain from it.