North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Lucky Pittman <lucky.pittman@murraystate.edu>]

At 07:50 AM 7/5/2003 -0500, Art wrote:
> What is honey locust in one part of the country has long spiky thorns that 
> can
> go through tractor tires and is an invasive pest...
>  while in another part of the country, honey locust is great for fenceposts
> and should be planted more to encourage a better stand ?

Gleditsia triacanthos, honey locust, is a member of my unholy trinity of 
most-hated trees, precisely for this reason - I've had 'em flatten more 
truck, tractor, and ATV tires than I care to recall.  Deer and cattle love 
their pods, and sow the seedlings throughout the pasture.  As to their 
usefulness as a fencepost, I've used them, and they rot away not much 
slower than an untreated pine post.
Robinia pseudoacacia, black locust,  while not disliked by me to quite the 
extent of honey locust, but disdained because of its propensity to sucker 
all over creation, at least has the decency to make a good fencepost and 
firewood.

Lucky Pittman
USDA Zone 6
Hopkinsville, KY