Habitat: The black locust is extremely adaptable to a variety of soils and climates, although it prefers rich, moist, loamy soils of limestone origin. Because it fixes nitrogen in root nodules, this species can grow on sterile, sandy soils, helping to improve the condition of the soil. Tolerant of dry and saline conditions, the black locust has a wide-spreading root system and is often used for reclamation plantings of strip-mined or eroded land.

Diseases: The locust borer is the most damaging insect pest, generally killing trees before they reach mature size. The US Forest Service has worked to develop borer-resistant clones. Other pests and diseases of the black locust include canker, leaf spot, powdery mildew, locust leaf miner and scale.

Distribution: Native to the central Appalachian and Ozark mountains and southern Illinois, this tree now reproduces on its own throughout eastern North America and parts of the West. Naturalized or escaped from cultivation, it grows throughout most of Iowa along the edges of woods and in waste areas as thickets or groves.