nature, Photography

Honey Locust Trees

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The honey locust or thorny locust tree is native to North America and in earlier times was an important food source for some indigenous peoples.

Honey locusts lining a path next to Okanagan Lake.

The flat bean pods that this tree produces contain a very sweet pulp and the seeds can be used to make flour.

The dark-coloured bean pods are long, flat and curly.

This tree is extremely hardy and will survive droughts, poor soils and even the cold winters of the far north. The wood derived from them is also of good quality and high durability.

A photo from ten days ago shows this tree in transition.

It has a mixed history however, as it’s invasive in Australia and has caused significant problems there as they will take over and choke river and creek beds and the open spaces near them.

A more recent photo shows an almost completely golden honey locust.

Its home is North America where it should stay as it’s a good example of why a species works well in one location but not another. Despite problems associated with this tree, it does put on a very pretty autumn show.

Happy Thursday.

27 thoughts on “Honey Locust Trees”

    1. Thank you very much. 🙂 I didn’t know much about these trees until I did a little online research. Apparently the name “honey” is quite apt as the seed pod pulp tastes like melon. I have seen them in lots of places all over N. America so there’s a good chance you have them in your area, too.

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        1. You’re welcome. I’ve always liked these trees, especially their long, flat, curly pods, but when I overheard someone complaining about how the city needs to replace “these rubbish trees,” I decided to find out why. Cheers.

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    1. I haven’t experienced any issues with them (not that I’m in a position to) but I know that they are considered to be “weed trees” in some areas and that the thorns on the younger trees can be awful.

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        1. In some countries they’re invasive (especially Australia, where they’re causing a lot of problems with waterways) and even people here (particularly on the prairies) consider them to be “weed trees.” It’s mostly because they’re so tough and prolific, I think.

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  5. Interesting that those seeds can be used to make flour. With the way the world is going, this may be good information to have in case we’re searching for food in the near future. (Sorry, that’s why I wrote what I did on my blog. World events are concerning me 😝).

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    1. I understand, Lori. After the drought and forest fires we experienced in western and northern Canada, the same idea has been in the back of my mind, and now we have a lot of political instability going on as well.

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    1. Yes, I particularly like the contrast with the blue sky, too. Apparently it will grow almost anywhere if given half a chance, but its less favourable characteristics can mean that it needs to stay put.

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  8. We have a few of these trees in our neighbourhood. They look pretty in the fall, but their leaves look like a pain to rake given how tiny they are. I didn’t know that they were considered invasive in Australia.

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    1. Yes, and apparently quite a problem in Australia since in some areas they will grow in seasonal creek or river beds and also tend to grow in dense thorny thickets that are awful to manage or eliminate. I’ve never had one in any yard I owned but I’ve always liked them and didn’t realise that they can be a problem.

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