giant black locust

[WoodTruk]

I was under the impression that Black Locust doesn't have the 'trunk thorns', but Honey Locust does. Nearly all of what we have around here is Black, and the thorns, even in the brushy tops are more like large briars than those needle-clusters I've seen from pics of Honey. What loves BL around here is poison ivy vines. The base vines get as big as your leg and look like big hairy gorilla arms. We cut them at the base and let them 'drain and dry' for a year or two before we harvest. Seems to work, but even so, I usually have a bit of poison ivy on me at all times, it seems. Also, cut the vines before you start cutting wood. Made the mistake of hitting a few vines at the end of a cutting session. Completely slipped my mind until after I'd sharpened and dressed the bar later that night. The oil was on my glasses, files, vise, gloves...I've always tended to learn stuff the hard way though. T'was an itchy lesson!

I'm VERY surprised that the tree in the OP's pic got that big. Don't think I've seen them like that around here. They usually get rotten in the middle from broken branches piping water into the center, or the black ants (carpenter?) usually get to them. Somewhat rare for us to cut anything BL over about 30 inches that doesn't have a bit of rot in the center.

 

[BenK]

So apparently what I thought was black locust was actually honey locust. Also explains why the horses loved chewing on it so much.
Learned a lil something today

 

[mo.woodtick]

I was under the impression that Black Locust doesn't have the 'trunk thorns', but Honey Locust does. Nearly all of what we have around here is Black, and the thorns, even in the brushy tops are more like large briars than those needle-clusters I've seen from pics of Honey. What loves BL around here is poison ivy vines. The base vines get as big as your leg and look like big hairy gorilla arms. We cut them at the base and let them 'drain and dry' for a year or two before we harvest. Seems to work, but even so, I usually have a bit of poison ivy on me at all times, it seems. Also, cut the vines before you start cutting wood. Made the mistake of hitting a few vines at the end of a cutting session. Completely slipped my mind until after I'd sharpened and dressed the bar later that night. The oil was on my glasses, files, vise, gloves...I've always tended to learn stuff the hard way though. T'was an itchy lesson!

I'm VERY surprised that the tree in the OP's pic got that big. Don't think I've seen them like that around here. They usually get rotten in the middle from broken branches piping water into the center, or the black ants (carpenter?) usually get to them. Somewhat rare for us to cut anything BL over about 30 inches that doesn't have a bit of rot in the center.

it was hollow for about 15 -20feet up the ants got to it ive cut many that were over 30"that might have had 6"rot in the center always the damn ants sucks in the winter when it freeze will dull a chain quick bty all locust can have thorns

 

[turnkey4099]

it was hollow for about 15 -20feet up the ants got to it ive cut many that were over 30"that might have had 6"rot in the center always the damn ants sucks in the winter when it freeze will dull a chain quick bty all locust can have thorns

Yeah, but only Honey Locust has sthose long nasty ones everywhere. Black Locust has small thorns and only on young (not over 3yoa) wood. They sure do 'bite' when you get stuck with one though.

Harry K