| The Black Locust usually grows about 40 to 60 feet tall and 1 to 2 ˝ feet in diameter.
It’s a medium-sized deciduous tree, in which the branches are upright and irregular.
The trunk is long and straight, with the top of the tree being widest. The Black Locust is
known for its creamy white flowers, which have a very strong fragrance. The flowers bloom
in late May to early June and grow in clusters, which are 4 to 8 inches in length. The
fruits mature in October and persist as dry, brown, flat pods that are 2 to 4 inches long.
The bark on the tree is dark gray and has very distinct rope-like ridges. The bark of the
Black Locust has been reported in a couple of cases as poisonous if swallowed. Honey from
the flowers is said by some people to be the best of honeys. The flowers, however, are
toxic to livestock.
The primary use of the Black Locust is for its durable wood. The wood has been used
mainly for fence posts, and has been known to last for over a hundred years in the soil.
The lumber is said to be the hardest and heaviest in North America. The wood is suitable
for paper industries, commercial energy production, and erosion control. The Black Locust
is attractive to insects known as the locust borer, which can eat the wood and destroy the
tree. However, they are resistant to termites, which is quite ironic.
The Black Locust was named after two royal herbalists of France, whose last name was
Robin. There is a legend about the Black Locust, that it has such a "will to
live," that when it is used for fence posts, and put into the ground, the posts grow
roots and sprout limbs again. The Black Locust has been used in folk medicine to make
astringents, diuretics, and laxatives. The Cherokee Indians used it to cure toothaches.
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