Is honey locust a good tree?
Honey locust wood is dense, resistant to shock, and widely utilised in the lumber 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. Honey Locust – Honey locust firewood is excellent for burning. It. Commonly used for furniture, cutting boards, turned items, flooring, and rustic woodworking projects, honey locust is valued for its strength, workability, and unique appearance.Proven to be very hardy and tolerant of salinity and drought, this tree has been widely planted to combat soil erosion and to form windbreaks. Honey locust wood is very dense, shock resistant, and commonly used in the timber industry.Honey locust wood is easily split, capable of obtaining a high luster finish, and is durable when in contact with soil. For these reasons, timber from honey locust has been used as fence posts, railroad ties, furniture, warehouse or shipping pallets, tool handles and fuel.Neither the tree nor its thorns carry any harmful poison or toxin. The leaves of the Honey Locust are doubly compound, meaning they sprout off of a single stem in parallel leaflets. The branches on which they sprout are also covered in thorns.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.
What are the disadvantages of honey locust trees?
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. 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.During the Civil War, the Cenfederate Army used honey locust thorns as pins to hold their uniforms together. Various parts of the plant have even been used medicinally. Extracts of the honey locust have been found useful in treating some modern ailments, such as rheumatoid arthritis as well as some cancers.Honey Locust Thorn Injury: Pain, Swelling, and Limited Finger Movement. Persistent swelling and difficulty bending the finger after thorn injury. Thorn injuries can introduce bacteria or foreign material causing infection and inflammation.Edible Uses of the Honey Locust The young, unripe pods, with their sweet, sticky, and aromatic pulp, are edible and contain about 12-42% sugar. The older, ripen pods are bitter, tough, and inedible. In the South, these pods are fermented and are made into beer.Most of these exposures have resulted in local symptoms such as pain, swelling, and rash. However, there have been a few reports of more severe outcomes following punctures from black locust thorns including neurologic (brain related) symptoms and local tissue death (necrosis).
How quickly does a honey locust tree grow?
Skyline honeylocust trees are fast growers, often gaining more than 24 inches in height per year, and they perform best when planted in spots that receive at least six hours of full, unfiltered sunlight daily. General: Black locust is short lived (50 – 75 yrs. It has a shallow, aggressive root system which is capable of nitrogen fixation. It is a hardwood tree that is fast growing (2 – 3 feet annually).Although not related to Black locust, Honeylocust belongs to the legume family. Heights of 30 to 50 feet and a crown spread of 25 to 35 feet are normal. It grows at a moderately fast rate. NOTE: We try to weed out all of the thorny seedlings in the nursery, but occasionally we miss some.Edible Uses of the Honey Locust The young, unripe pods, with their sweet, sticky, and aromatic pulp, are edible and contain about 12-42% sugar. The older, ripen pods are bitter, tough, and inedible. In the South, these pods are fermented and are made into beer.But the trees also have a negative side too. Honey locust have twisted, flat legumes and branched thorns. Black locust have clusters of papery legumes and stout spines at the base of the compound leaves. Perhaps the greatest downside is their ability to grow fast and spread quickly.
Why is it called a honey locust tree?
Honeylocust trees get their common name from their seed pods. The honey comes from the high sugar content of the sweet, sticky pulp in the seed pods. Roots. Black locust has an extensive fibrous root system that can be shallow or deep, depending on the soil. It spreads vegetatively through root suckering and runners, especially after being cut or damaged.Root cuttings: One of the ways honeys can be propagated is via root cuttings, which similar to grafting yields an exact clone of the tree.Roots: All will have a fibrous component to them, but they also have a deep tap-root. Some honey locusts may have a number of thick, deep roots instead of a single tap root.In European folklore, Black Locust trees were often planted as a protective measure, believed to ward off evil spirits and bring good fortune to homes.
Can you eat the fruit from a honey locust?
The honey locust derives the name honey from the sweet, honey-like substance found in its pods. Sometimes a nuisance to famers, the thorns of honey locusts have been known to pop tractor tires. The pulp inside the fruit pod is edible. Wildlife Habitat: The tree’s flowers attract various pollinators, including bees and butterflies, while its seed pods serve as food for birds and other wildlife. This makes the Honey Locust a valuable addition to any ecosystem. Durability: The Honey Locust is known for its resilience against pests and diseases.The flowers of the honey locust are off-white in color, and are very fragrant. The strong fragrance of the honey locust attracts insects, who pollinate the tree. The male, or staminate, flowers are densely packed into clusters, with 5-7 stamens.Expect flowering to happen May through June and for fruit to appear in September and October. Although the honey locust does not help to make honey, the name was given to the sweet taste of the seeds themselves, which were often eaten by Native Americans.Usually honey locust will have VERY pronounced thorns, usually extending from the trunk, not the branches. The thorns are MUCH longer than those of black locust. Also, the bark is generally a bit smoother on honey locust if the tree is small, then cracking a bit like hickory as it gets larger.Honey Locust bonsai trees are considered to be moderately easy to grow, as they are adaptable to different climates and environments. However, they do require some attention and skill to keep them healthy and beautiful.
Do honey locusts smell good?
Its a fragrance one could spend a whole afternoon bathed in, as it permeates the garden and fills the countrysides and towns with a wonderful rosy sweetness. To me, honey locust is the smell of May, along with peonies and Irises. Honey locust are great wildlife trees, for deer or livestock like cattle that eat the pods, and pollinators that enjoy the flowers (why it is named after honey). Bumblebees adore them. It is best put on the fringes of your property where it won’t bother you.