wow just got a reply on craigs list for truck load of locus

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I've burned a fair bit of well seasoned honey locust. Love that stuff as firewood. I've never come across to burning much of any black locust though (I mostly scrounge for wood).

As mentioned, the honey locust has the nasty longer thorn clusters, mainly around the trunk and branch offshoots. A year after I bought my place, Dad and I took down a few trees. A couple large, too-close-to-the-house silver maples, and one honey locust. The honey locust was a thorn-less variety. About 1 ft dia. and about 35-40 ft tall when we dropped it. (I was putting in a garden, and it was in a bad spot for that.) That tree became firewood. I only found one thorn on that entire tree. Just thought that was interesting, is all.

I never heard that about the seed pods on honey locust. Interesting.
The one spring that I had that tree, the flowers did smell nice.


Gunny,
I bet either species of locust would make a good paddle.
 
@capetrees that proves my point entirely, folk around me call the original honey locust black locust, the ones we call reds may in fact be a hybrid of a black or even a honey. Here are some pictures of what is referred to as black locust around me.View attachment 858466View attachment 858467View attachment 858468View attachment 858469
Nope, all pics of original honey. The thorns are one give away difference between the black and original honey locust and the bark difference. And the color of the wood. Black locust is yellow inside, homey is lighter, more of a cream color.
 
Nope, all pics of original honey. The thorns are one give away difference between the black and original honey locust and the bark difference. And the color of the wood. Black locust is yellow inside, homey is lighter, more of a cream color.
The heart wood on those will be a reddish with streaks of darker and lighter, and yep the outer is creamy with a little green tint, funny how we call them the wrong name, everyone around this area does, we actually have the two reversed as far as the names, I have no idea what the ones we call red locust are, I don't even really know where to find one, they are not common, I took two big ones out several years ago with the dozer and then kept the big stuff for firewood.
 
This was the first year I found any black locust around me. I had never seen it before and had to look it up by the pods. Found about 50 trees but none are bigger than 8-12" dba. They say we have honey's but I have never seen one. Thorns suck!
 
The thorns on a Black Locust have a mild toxin in them. The tip will break off under your skin and in a few days will fester up. Squeeze it like a zit and the piece of thorn will squirt out. If you hit a Honey Locust thorn just right it will go through a tractor tire, and they will definitely go all the way through a Chuck Taylor and the foot inside, ask me how I know.

back when I saw someplace that those thorns were even used as nails. Probably saw it on the 'net so it has to be true.
 
I also am getting free locust.

The owner of our local funeral home has a couple properties nearby, and his daughter married a tree service guy. He's taking down the tree, which is a couple blocks from my home, and I get the wood. Since I have a sawmill coming (any day now), I asked them to just drop it, and I'll cut how I want it. Not sure if locust is good for milling, but I'll research that now. In any event, I'll get free lumber or firewood two blocks away, and I don't have to clean it up. How cool is that?? :happybanana:
 
I also am getting free locust.

The owner of our local funeral home has a couple properties nearby, and his daughter married a tree service guy. He's taking down the tree, which is a couple blocks from my home, and I get the wood. Since I have a sawmill coming (any day now), I asked them to just drop it, and I'll cut how I want it. Not sure if locust is good for milling, but I'll research that now. In any event, I'll get free lumber or firewood two blocks away, and I don't have to clean it up. How cool is that?? :happybanana:
Pretty cool. It’s probably worth more money in slabs for table tops etc. Black Locust is very naturally rot resistant like cedar. You could sell outdoor furniture made of it for premium money I bet. I’d keep some as firewood. It’s rated amongst the best of the best.
 
A lo
Pretty cool. It’s probably worth more money in slabs for table tops etc. Black Locust is very naturally rot resistant like cedar. You could sell outdoor furniture made of it for premium money I bet. I’d keep some as firewood. It’s rated amongst the best of the best.

A locust post will last about one day longer than granite.
 
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