Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: sieddy on October 06, 2017, 08:38:32 am

Title: Is this Black locust?
Post by: sieddy on October 06, 2017, 08:38:32 am

Hi Guys as per the thread heading am i right thinking that this is Robinia pseudoaccacia? I've spotted a few of these round my city now and some are harvestable saplings on wasteground so I'm keen to cut some and see how it goes. Cheers Si 😎

Title: Re: Is this Black locust?
Post by: sieddy on October 06, 2017, 08:44:06 am

Sorry the pics aren't great here they are flipped!

Title: Re: Is this Black locust?
Post by: GlisGlis on October 06, 2017, 08:44:27 am

Yes
it's a nice wood to work

Title: Re: Is this Black locust?
Post by: sieddy on October 06, 2017, 08:45:35 am

Ha, ha- i thought they would come out portrait oriented that time!  ::)

Title: Re: Is this Black locust?
Post by: sieddy on October 06, 2017, 08:46:14 am

Thanks GlisGlis! ☺

Title: Re: Is this Black locust?
Post by: BowEd on October 06, 2017, 10:30:08 am

In the spring that stuff will flower too if you notice.

Title: Re: Is this Black locust?
Post by: sieddy on October 06, 2017, 10:59:29 am

I had noticed Ed, its really lovely. I wasn't sure as i thought it might be honey locust, which flowers too i believe, but I'm confident now. I think ill wait for the sap to rise before i cut any though!

Title: Re: Is this Black locust?
Post by: BowEd on October 06, 2017, 11:07:38 am

Great it's good stuff!!!One of the top 3 bow woods that I like that's for sure.

Title: Re: Is this Black locust?
Post by: Pat B on October 06, 2017, 11:24:29 am

Black locust has thorns on the outer branches.

Title: Re: Is this Black locust?
Post by: sieddy on October 06, 2017, 12:28:32 pm

Cheers Pat. these trees definitely have thorns but not too many. I read that honey locust was very thorny and that's one of the reasons i IDed these trees as BL.

Title: Re: Is this Black locust?
Post by: Pat B on October 06, 2017, 01:14:09 pm

Honey locust had large, multi thorn clusters all over the trunk(except the thornless varieties) but not on the small branches where the black locust has thorns only on the smaller branches.

Title: Re: Is this Black locust?
Post by: sieddy on October 06, 2017, 01:47:23 pm

Thanks for that info Pat. These wonderful woody organisms are endlessly fascinating right. I also read that black and honey locust are completely unrelated species!?!

Title: Re: Is this Black locust?
Post by: George Tsoukalas on October 06, 2017, 01:57:50 pm

What Pat said and the flowers of BL are white. Jawge

Title: Re: Is this Black locust?
Post by: sieddy on October 06, 2017, 02:38:56 pm

Thanks for your input George. :D

Title: Re: Is this Black locust?
Post by: Pat B on October 06, 2017, 04:58:02 pm

Honey locust is Gleditisia triacanthos. The "triacanthos" part means 3 thorns, referring to the cluster of thorns on the trunk. It is in the family Fabaceae.
Black locust is Robina pseudoacacia. It is also of the Fabaceae family...so they are distant cousins.  ;)

Title: Re: Is this Black locust?
Post by: Mo_coon-catcher on October 06, 2017, 05:46:04 pm

I think the common name of locust, shared between them. Refers to them taking over open fields if left unattended. Like most common names, they don't mean anything when it comes to their relationships with other organisms.

Kyle

Title: Re: Is this Black locust?
Post by: sieddy on October 07, 2017, 01:39:38 am

That's really interesting lads, I'm thankful again for the collective wisdom of this great forum!  I'm just very grateful to the city fathers of the past that chose to plant this non native species round and about for ornamental purposes! ☺

Title: Re: Is this Black locust?
Post by: GlisGlis on October 07, 2017, 04:29:34 am

.... and blacklocust flowers fritters are delicious  -C-

Title: Re: Is this Black locust?
Post by: sieddy on October 07, 2017, 06:46:16 am

Now that is really interesting!  :P

Title: Re: Is this Black locust?
Post by: Dances with squirrels on October 07, 2017, 07:50:00 am

As an additional aide to identifying black locust... it fluoresces under black light... the fresher the cut, the more it glows.

Title: Re: Is this Black locust?
Post by: upstatenybowyer on October 07, 2017, 08:21:14 am

The bark on that tree is a dead giveaway that it's black locust. Honey locust bark isn't as furrowed. Like Ed said it's an awesome bow wood.