# Black Locust versus Honey Locust?



## ankklackning (Dec 10, 2020)

So I just wanted to check on this...

I saw a post here that said bees don't like honey locust much. And when you are looking at bee plants its a bit hard to tell honey locust from black locust. So i thought I'd check if there's other differences? Supposedly Black locust makes beautiful gorgeously tasting honey (romanian honey etc examples). 

Is this right information that honey locust isn't good nectar tree?

And are there other differences between the two to be aware of, (especially with respect to beekeeping)? 

Thanks very much.


----------



## GFWestTexas (Jul 10, 2021)

Black Locust, makes great honey, I have a ton of these, the honey locust I am unsure on. That said if you are going to plant black locust don’t do it in your yard. They are great on fence rows, or in fields, but have a root system that allows them to pop up every where.


----------



## ankklackning (Dec 10, 2020)

GFWestTexas said:


> Black Locust, makes great honey, I have a ton of these, the honey locust I am unsure on. That said if you are going to plant black locust don’t do it in your yard. They are great on fence rows, or in fields, but have a root system that allows them to pop up every where.


Thank you very much.


----------



## Jim Braun (Nov 8, 2019)

Robinia pseudoacacia (Black Locust) was talked about in my plant book for being attractive to bees.
Gleditsia tricabthos inermis (Thornless Honey Locust) was described as having a sweet edible seed, hence Honey Locust.

I did an advance search and almost all of the responces weren't sure about how much the bees worked the Honey Locust. When I lived near some Black Locust trees I could always hear the bees working them.

As others mentioned the Black Locust is shallow rooted and root suckers all over the place. Also with it's thorns it would be a good tree for perimeter defense.


----------



## Jack Grimshaw (Feb 10, 2001)

In New England, thornless Honey Locust is widely planted as an ornamental.However,the thorned cultivars have got black locust beat by a long shot.











We see very little bee activity on honey locust but once every 4 or 5 years we get a boomer crop of black locust honey.The majority of honey locusts planted are also seedless,supposedly all males, perhaps contributing to lack of nectar.

Black locust is a terrible ornamental for the above mentioned reasons but,because of the wood's decay resistance,it was widely planted on the poorer land around farms for eventual use as fence posts.As a legume it grows well where other plants won't.


----------



## AHudd (Mar 5, 2015)

We have a lot of big Honey Locust around here which the bees work pretty hard most years. 
One peculiarity I have noticed is that the trunks remain sparsely thorned until I prune some limbs or they are attacked by insects, then they seem to sprout thorns like a pissed off porcupine. I have seen thickets sprout thorns, without any damage by me, only to die within two years. I think sprouting thorns and eventual death was caused by insect attack.
I eventually learned to leave those trees standing until the bark slips, making it easier to get rid of the thorns. Each time I cut down a live one they sucker like crazy. They do make excellent firewood, but what a pain.

Alex


----------



## Jack Grimshaw (Feb 10, 2001)

Black locust is also great for firewood but you need to store log length until the bark falls off or you will get tons of carpenter ants in your wood pile.


----------

