Wood: The wood is more resistant to decay and possesses a higher fuel value than any other broad-leafed tree native to temperate North America. The wood is hard, strong, heavy and shrinks and swells less than that of most other trees. It is used for fence posts, railroad ties, mine timbers, tree nails, insulator pins and fuel. The wood is widely sought for ship building and was exported to England in the last century for this purpose.
Wildlife:Bees make delicious honey from the nectar, and quail and squirrels eat the seeds. Black locust thickets are useful nesting sites for birds and form protective cover for wildlife.
Horticulture: This
tree has long been used as an ornamental in Europe, but is seldom used in
the US-perhaps because it provides poor shade and is attacked by many insect
pests. It is a good tree for use in difficult conditions such as highway
cutouts and strip-mined areas. Several cultivars have been developed: 'Aurea',
with young growth emerging yellow; 'Purple Robe', with pink flowers and
bronze new leaves; 'Pyramidalis', a columnar, spineless cultivar.
This specimen grows along Linclon Way, south of Lake LaVerne. (See map on species page)
