Though there are
more than 20 species
of locust trees, two species are very popular. They are black locust and honey locust
How can you tell what kind of locust tree you have?
Identifying species of locust trees can be done by features such as their flowers, color of bark, height of the tree, and the thorns. Another way to identify the type of locust tree is
by the shape and color of its seed pods
. Locust trees grow to between 66 and 98 ft. (20 – 30 m).
What is the difference between honey locust and black locust trees?
The leaves are very different
. The black locust has very simple compound leaves where honey locust trees have bipinnate compound leaves. … The black locust’s bark is dark in colour with grooves that resemble an intertwining rope. The honey locust’s bark is brown or grey colour and the tree has bunches of thorns.
What is the lifespan of a locust tree?
The honey locust, Gleditsia triacanthos, can reach a height of 20–30 m (66–98 ft). They exhibit fast growth, but live a medium-long life span of
about 120 years
. The leaves are pinnately compound on older trees but bipinnately compound on vigorous young trees.
How do I identify a black locust tree?
One major identifier is the
long compound leaves with up to 19 leaflets
which present the typical and unique locust leaf profile (not to be confused with the twice compound leaves of honey locust). The other ID marker is a small stout briar spine on branches, often curved and in pairs at each leaf node.
Are locust trees invasive?
Historically planted as a landscape tree, black locust
has escaped cultivation and become invasive in California and elsewhere
. It can grow on a wide range of sites, but grows best on rich, moist, limestone-derived soils.
What is a locust tree good for?
The tree has been used
to support nutrition in other crops
, from grains to other trees. Research has shown increases in nitrogen in barley grain crops interplanted with locust, and black walnuts interplanted with locust as “nurse” trees were shown to rapidly increase their growth.
Do honey locust thorns have poison?
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.
What are honey locust trees good for?
Today, the honey locust has a number of applications: its
fruit is used in agriculture to feed livestock
; its dense wood is used to make furniture and fences; and its unique compounds may have medicinal uses for treating diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and cancer.
How poisonous is black locust?
All parts of a black locust are
extremely toxic
and can cause severe stomach pain or death in children, pets and livestock if eaten. … The leaves are also toxic, but in addition to thorn toxicity is the problem of extreme pain when swallowing thorns that grow up to 2 inches long.
Do locust trees have deep roots?
Honey locusts have
strong, deep taproots
that extend as far as 20 feet down as opposed to most trees, which only extend 3 to 7 feet beneath the surface However, unlike the classic tap root system, honey locust trees also have profusely branching roots, as is characteristic of heart root systems.
How do you know when a locust tree is dying?
Symptoms are not readily obvious but can include
leaf curling and dying
, abnormal red or yellow leaf coloring and wilting branches. Typically, the wilting may develop on one entire side of the tree. Verticillium wilt is uncontrollable once the tree is infected.
Are black locust trees valuable?
Black Locust wood contains natural organic compounds that resist rot for 100 years or more, which makes these trees an
extremely valuable and environmentally friendly tree
. It is the perfect wood for fence and deck posts.
Do all black locust trees have thorns?
The tree is hardy through USDA growing zones 4 to 8. … The leaves of the tree are oval and typically a blue-green color, though this does vary between cultivars. The base of the leaves of the black locust tree
has short and sharp thorns
, unlike the honey locust tree, which has thorns all over it.
Are locust trees poisonous to dogs?
The entire black locust tree, especially the bark and shoots,
is toxic to cats and dogs
. If consumed, it can cause kidney failure, weakness, nausea, depression and death.
