North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[robscott@sdf.lonestar.org]

Like all members of Gleditsia, Honey Locust stores water in the soil
through unique root structure. Thus the tree has some value in extremely
dry, degraded, eroding soil by simply stopping soils and keeping them wet.
It will not grow in shade so if you're planting an overstory it will not
last. Honey Locust won't sucker (unlike Black Locust) so you can
accelerate this succession by chopping the trees down and laying them on
the ground of the maturing system.

Also unlike Black Locust, Honey Locust doesn't have a rhizobial
association, so it is a legume for fixing water and soil, not for fixing
nitrogen.

In central Illinois I am planting an orchard of native Malus and Prunus
for future use as rootstock, and I'm Planting Honey Locust as an
interplant because it stops erosion, increases the water holding potential
of the soil, penetrates hard pans, and *doesn't* add nitrogen which is
*desirable* if you're establishing a system with native plant stock in
East Central Illinois.

Rob Scott
Urbana, Illinois
Zone 5b