There is nothing blacker than a moonless, overcast, blackass night in the middle of the ocean. Honey locust not directly related to black locust and doesnt share any of the same qualities. Growing black locust trees is easy, but they can become weedy if you arent diligent about removing suckers. Black locust has a wellestablished economic importance. It possesses great stiffness and takes a nice finish, though somewhat plain in appearance, black locust can be ebonized to a black color by applying an ironvinegar solution. Black locust firewood is incredibly dense, similar in energy density to anthracite coal, and burns hot and long with a low flame. In fact, the fungus is such a common pathogen of locusts that nearly every black locust tree. Only about 10% of all black locust logs found in this area end up producing veneer grade material. More information about white locust may be found here the robinia pseudoacacia is commonly known as the black locust, false acacia, green locust, locust, post locust, shipmast locust, white locust as well as yellow locust the currently accepted scientific name for black locust is robinia pseudoacacia l. Some people have even reported the fence posts lasting 80 years without deteriorating and outlasting treated lumber.
I learned the hard way to point those posts while the wood was green. The uncertainty is because its hard and heavy wood is resistant to decay at the soil line, so it is useful for fence posts. Black locust definition is a tall tree robinia pseudoacacia of eastern north america with pinnately compound leaves, drooping racemes of fragrant white flowers, and strong stiff wood. There are no natural subspecies or forms, but many cultivars are available. Three uses for black locust wood homesteading and livestock.
May 24, 20 managing black locust trees in preparation for use in a hop farm. Very dense and hard to work, strong in compression but may chryshal if the tiller is imperfect. Driving innovation by creating sustainable black locust products that capture and store carbon with a positive impact on the built environment. I was standing on the bowsprit watching the proceedings, when an elderly. On the back is rawhide, stained with 3 different colors and fading out towards the tips. Hello all of you interested in making primitive bows. Black locust southeastern wisconsin invasive species. Black locust stems can be cut at the base with brushcutters, chainsaws or hand tools, followed by treating the stump with a 20percent solution of roundup. I make my own bows and have been using black locust for the most part because, it grows naturally here in maryland and osage when i can find it.
I wouldnt bother debarking, but the bark will rot eventually as the man rightly told you, just make sure your post is at least 5 heartwood. In fact, the fungus is such a common pathogen of locusts that nearly every black locust tree has at least one p. More information about white locust may be found here. More on black locust robinia pseudoacacia in wikipedia allergens and plants search enter a full or partial species name to find more information on one of over 1200 potentially allergenic plants. The tips are flipped with steam and are tapering from the flat belly into a triangular cross section. Plant database lady bird johnson wildflower center. It is a tough, perennial mushroom that features a brown to blackish, cracked and furrowed capand a beautiful brown pore surface that takes on strikingly different shades from different viewing. Handbook 519 that includes species of commercial importance. It measures 1700 hardness on the janka scale, hard enough to use for fingerboards. Black locust is a very hard and strong wood, competing with hickory. Black locust definition of black locust by merriamwebster. Black locust robinia pseudoacacia species details and.
Effects of fire suppression and postfire management activities on plant invasions. Using black locust as an exposed building material. Using alternative and natural measures to help control your locust population is better on your yard and will have longer term effects. I would have a club jib and a bowsprit so you could get a reacherdrifter on it. Black locust is popular for fence posts because its resistant to rot. This fungus grows almost exclusively on locust trees. The stuff i got was in 1424 rounds that had been cut 4 months before i got it. Black locust robinia pseudoacacia is americas most versatile hardwood. Black locust is a leguminous deciduous tree that grows from 30 to 80 feet tall. Black locust is a member of the legume family, so its not surprising that the flowers closely resemble sweet peas.
Foliage leaves are pinnately compound with 721 small, round leaflets per leaf. Black locust is the most durable native hardwood in the us. I have been making my bows in the flat bow design with the. The big problem with the club jib is that as soon as you crack off youve got no power. The mainmast, foremast, and bowsprit have since been replaced with new sticks. Black locust information how to care for a black locust tree. The hot, long lasting fire it produces makes it a popular choice for anyone who. This black locust has a nice even crown and a dead flat belly. Rock hard and ready for your mud room, kitchen, office show room space, or other high traffic, high impact areas, our black locust flooring is available in a select grade pictured at left and below and a rustic grade. Its crown is narrow with an open, irregular form and contorted branches. My dad planted some gullied areas to black locust in the early 1950s at the recommendation of usda. Black locust is a prolific seedproducer, with reports of seed.
The bark of black locust is light brown, rough, and becomes very furrowed with age. Im aware that locust is a very dense wood when dried, but how is it fresh cut. Successful reproduction via vegetative runners has contributed to the naturalization of black locust in upland. Midwest black locust your domestic source for sustainably harvested kiln dried lumber, hops poles, orchard poles, fence posts, decking, flooring, siding and manufactured parts fairtrade harvested, fairtrade priced. The upper surface is yellowishbrown to brown, but it becomes black and cracked as it ages.
Jul 31, 2012 i dont know about axe handles but honey and black locust are both used for making all wood bows and based upon the wood engineering handbook they are very tough woods, so they should work well. Black locust on par with osage but might be less forgiving. I at once undertook to take portraits of the human head divine, in black chalk. Black locust robinia pseudoacacia fastgrowing tree in the legume family, growing 3090 tall with a trunk 24 in diameter. First came a hearse covered with dirty cloth that once had been black. This page was last edited on 12 september 2017, at 12. You can use these 2 kinds of tree fungus for fire tinder.
The currently accepted scientific name for black locust is robinia pseudoacacia l. It has a shallow, fibrous root system and spreads by underground rhizomes. Each one is cut, split, the ends are sealed and then we treat them for bugs. First year coppice production from a 5yearold black locust stand on surface mine spoil richard w. We have about 200 plus black locust trees on our property and we have been kicking around ideas where to market these other then firewood.
Black locust the wood database lumber identification hardwood. Thinking also about maintenance and durability, as even a treated pine deck doesnt really last that long here in the south, considering using black locust that i grow on my own property as the primary material for both frame and deck, and the fact that itll grow right back. Specifically, i am interested in the design of how the heel of the bowspirt is supportedattached to the sampson posts. However, this was not to be a launch as in the old days, when they cracked the. Little, as cited in the usda silvics manual also includes black locust in important forest trees of the united states 1978 usda agric. Lady bird johnson wildflower center focused on protecting and preserving north americas native plants through native plant lists and image galleries, conservation, education, natural landscapes, seed collection millennium seed bank msb project, preserving and restoring native communities, spreading awareness on invasive species and gardening to attract wildlife. Stubby warmbold boardwalks and decking site furnishings proflow permeable pavers facebook headquarters wingfield pines frick environmental center sidings, rainscreens and brise soleil architectural elements. It is endemic to a few small areas of the united states, but it has been widely planted and naturalized elsewhere in temperate north america, europe, southern africa and asia and is considered an invasive species in some areas. I have been able to locate some black locust and the supplier, jaspers. The ironlike wood of the black locust once provided strength to the u. Despite the long crack running forward from the crease. Black locust, also known as false acacia, is a native north american tree which has some outstanding properties both as lumber and black locust firewood.
Many trees offers the benefit of shade, as is true with the black locust tree. In one corner of a miserable room i found an empty bedstead, with broken legs. Phellinus robiniae, the cracked cap polypore fungus fact. Trees grow upright in forests, but develop an open growth form in more open areas. All structured data from the file and property namespaces is available under the creative commons cc0 license. Using black locust as an exposed building material natural. Plant a trio of these easytogrow trees where you would like to block a view, perhaps of a neighbors backyard or a nearby development.
Phellinus robiniae, commonly known as the cracked cap polypore, is a woody bracket fungus that is most easily identified by its habitat. Jan 06, 2015 greetings out there and thanks for stop by. In glancing over these pages, i see that in my hurried and broken manner of. Winter wildlife use of black locust robinia pseudoacacia l. Bark is smooth and green on saplings, but dark with deep furrows on mature trees. It is native to the appalachian mountains from pennsylvania to alabama, and a secondary population in the ozark mountains, in the united states. Robinia pseudoacacia, commonly known in its native territory as black locust, is a mediumsized hardwood deciduous tree, belonging to the tribe robinieae. This species has long been overlooked as luthier tonewood. I would save my black locust trees from a lot of needless agony it i just cut down all that had trunks measuring from four to eight inches in diameter and. A perspective on black locust cornellforestconnect. Killing them is very, very hard and takes lots of chemicals, which i dont enjoy.
Well known species such as garden peas pisum sativum, peanut arachis hypogaea, mesquite prosopis species, and mimosa albizia julibrissin. Because of this, it is very important to predrill because of its hardness. Navy, while its fragrant blossoms brought ornament to the gardens of washington and jefferson yet today, few americans. Due to deviation of fibers and growth tensions robinia wood tends to warp and crack. It is valuable as an aggressive, rapidly growing invader species that controls erosion in road cuts, abandoned fields, stripmined areas, logged forests, and fireswept areas.
While the roundup label recommends a 50 to 100percent concentration of herbicide for stump treatment, a 20percent concentration has proven effective. In the past we have supplied black locust as large 12. Its alternate leaves with 310 pairs of oval leaflets. Black locust is susceptible to severe insect damage from locust borers, locust leaf miners, and locust twig borers. Hey, i recently cut down 7 decent size black locust trees. Black locust trees are plants in the subfamily faboideae of the pea family fabaceae.
I dont know about axe handles but honey and black locust are both used for making all wood bows and based upon the wood engineering handbook they are very tough woods, so they should work well. This tree is useful but underutilized for lumber, poles, wood fiber, land reclamation, beekeeping, fuel and forage. Files are available under licenses specified on their description page. My mailwoman has asked me to come take a look at about 50 to 100 black locust trees she needs removed from her horses grazing area, mostly all out in the open, easy to remove, and fairly young. Most trees range from 30 to 60 foot in length and 6 to 18 inches in diameter and straight. About the boat a sail in gloucester schooner thomas e. Once it has cured it is difficult to even drive a staple into. Hi all, can anyone recommend references that detail wooden bowsprit design. Pods dry, crack open and seeds are dispersed from hanging pods between.
Black locust robinia pseudoacacia is a fastgrowing, deciduous tree. There are black locust posts on the ranch that were used by my wifes grandfather. My experience with black locust is not good, to say the least. I have seen a few bowsprits where the heel tapers into a wedge and is locked into braces connected to the sampson post to. The same author who provides the historic distribution of black locust a. Thus, the early settlers planted its seed as soon as they arrived and it has been part of local records for as long as anyone has been keeping track. Chella, whitedove, hornet, snail, green, crush, locust, orange, jeep. Jan 24, 20 black locust is the best there is as far as i am concerned.
In most cases, locusts are treated with pesticides, which are hard on the environment and can kill other inspects, animals or pets in the immediate area. This beautiful polypore can be found wherever black locust and closely related trees are common. The project gutenberg ebook of wild sports in the far west, by. From an engineering perspective and being kinda picky about definitions.
The gullies have healed but the trees keep spreading. I had heard and read on some of the wood btu pages that black locust was hard to split, but using my fiskars ss ive found the black locust is quite easy to split. Photography has long been a passion of mine, especially black and white. Black locust necks guitar neck blanks guitar wood for. It is native to the southeastern united states, but has been widely planted and naturalized elsewhere in temperate north america, europe and asia. Black locust is a member of the fabaceae pea family. Black locust is probably a native of somewhere in the appalachians.
Black locust trees black locust plant willis orchards. She is framed with white oak and black locust, from trees grown locally and. Is that wood good for firewood i have a large amount of it and dont want it to go to waste if it is useful. The pea family includes species that are large trees, shrubs, herbs and vines. I see a lot of fence posts and split rail fences made out of it. My question is, is black locust a hard wood, and if so, how hard is it or what could it be compared to. This tree growing to be 30 feet tall, perfect for planting in landscapes that require shaded regions. It is a mediumsized tree, averaging 12 to 30 m in height and 30 to 60 cm up to 150 cm in. It is a mediumsized tree, averaging 12 to 30 m in height and 30 to 60 cm up to 150 cm in diameter. Black locust control missouri department of conservation. It is often attacked by stem borers and other insects, causing deformed growth and dieback.
It is also often planted as an ornamental tree for its showy aromatic flowers and hard, durable wood. Forms multiplestemmed clones and is slow to grow leaves in the spring. It is a tough, perennial mushroom that features a brown to blackish, cracked and furrowed. Black locust commonly occurs in disturbed habitats like pastures, degraded woods, thickets, old fields, and roadsides. These premium black locust staves are the best we have ever seen. Red cedar is same way preferably 5 red heartwood, debarking unnecessary. The flowers attract honeybees, which use the nectar to make excellent honey. Black locust trees robinia pseudoacacia, usda zones 4 through 8 are at their best in late spring, when trailing clusters of 5inch, fragrant flowers bloom at the tips on new branches. Black locust pros and cons woodland forum at permies. Managing black locust trees in preparation for use in a hop farm. In some places its illegal to grow black locust, and so you could get in trouble for doing that even if its a good tree in other ways. Order your by calling the ty ty nursery today, 8887582252. Black locust was once native to the southern appalachian region of the eastern united states, but has now spread throughout the world, including all of ohio.
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