Black Locust
(Wide & Flat: Alternate Arrangement) |
| A medium-sized tree to 45' high, found in open woods, floodplains,
thickets and fencerows throughout the State. Wood is durable in contact with the
soil and in demand for posts, poles, railroad ties, and mine timbers. Unfortunately,
several insects and wood rots cause heavy damage, especially to trees on poor
soils. Squirrels eat the seeds and bees make honey from the nectar of locust flowers. |

Robinia pseudoacacia L
enlarge
|
| Leaves |
| Alternate, compound, 7-19 oval leaflets 1"-2"
long, margins smooth. |
| Twigs |
| Angled, somewhat zigzag, brittle, with short stout
prickles; no end bud, side buds small and hidden in winter. |
| Fruit |
| A thin, flat pod, 2"-4" long; usually with
4-8 seeds; splits into halves when ripe. Flowers white, showy, very fragrant in
drooping clusters, appearing in May and June. |
| Bark |
| Reddish brown, rough, furrowed, thick. |
|