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General Description
Black locust has a shallow, aggressive root system. The bark of black locust is deeply furrowed and is dark reddish-brown to black in color. It has an alternate branching pattern, which creates a zigzag effect. A pair of sharp thorns grows at each node. They are ½ to ¾ inches long, and very stout.
The pinnately compound leaves are 8 to 14 inches long, with 7 to 19 short stalked leaflets. These dull green leaflets are ovoid or oval, 1 to 2 inches long, thin, scabrous above and pale below.
The separate male and female plants have sweetly fragrant flowers that are creamy white with five petals (bean-like) arranged in a pyramidal spike. They usually bloom in May or June. Heavy seed production can be expected annually or biannually. The legume type seed is produced in a flat, brown to black pod, which is 2 to 4 inches long. There is an average of 25,500 seeds per pound. Although black locust is a good seed producer, its primary means of spread is by both rudimentary and adventitious root suckers.
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Uses
Since the wood of black locust is strong, hard, and extremely durable, it is extensively utilized for fencing, mine timbers, and landscaping ties. This tree also serves as a good erosion control plant on critical and highly disturbed areas, due to its ease of establishment, rapid early growth and spread, and soil building abilities. It has limited value in wildlife food plots, but provides excellent cover when planted in spoil areas.
Due to its showy aromatic flower, it has often been planted as an ornamental, but this practice should be discouraged due to the potential for spread by root suckers. This species has been planted outside its natural range, and can crowd out other plants, particularly in sandy soils.
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