honey locust vs black locust firewood

The clearest difference between Black Locust and Honey Locust is the difference in their thorns. This is due to its beauty, durability of 50+ years, and certifiable sustainability. I can attest to it's density, hardness and weight. But there is a problem with many types: The flattened seed pods are a bother to rake up. But exploitative deforestation has driven tropical hardwood species such as Ipe, Big Leaf Mahogany, and Teak toward the brink of extinction. They are rapidly growing shade trees lacking the up to foot-long (0.5 m.) thorns and, in most cases, the large seed pods that adorn other honey locust trees. Wood Variety. On the downside, black locust can spread into unwanted areas by seed and suckers, and has thorns on the juvenile wood (new growth) that can puncture tires and skin. Honely locust can make a sweet bow. But the kind shown in the picture is podless—problem solved. The black locust was actually exported long ago to Europe, and it has remained a popular honey-producer there. The wood of the Black Locust is noted for toughness, dura bility, and great torsional strength. A black locust, Robinia pseudoacacia has seed pods that are 2.5 to about 5 in long, flat and approximately 1/8 in thick. Robinia pseudoacacia, commonly known in its native territory as black locust, is a medium-sized hardwood deciduous tree, belonging to the tribe Robinieae of the legume family Fabaceae. Mimosa trees have pink and white blooms that look something like a powder puff or firework, made up of lots of individual straight strand-like petals. Only ever seen it rot in under that time after continuous ground contact. The black locust tree is a hardwood but it's unique because it grows faster than most softwoods. Black vs Honey Locust (Read 8430 times) gobbler74. Honey locust trees have thorns surrounding the bark whereas a black locust tree has grooves on it that resembles ropes but not thorns. of honey which is very common. Also, they measure the outside of the box and all dimensions round down if below 0.5 inch and up if over 0.5 inch. Firewood will have to be split for best results. Watch out for the Thorns! Burning unseasoned wood is 30% less efficient. Black Locust is a safe, environmentally friendly alternative to Pressure Treated and Tropical Hardwoods. Neither black locust … Now I know you fellow veterans are going to have a hard time believing this but I have a Woodworkers handbook here that shows locust at 4.2 lb/bd ft in density.
The black locust tree’s botanical name is Robinia pseudoacacia and the honey locust tree’s is Gleditsia triacanthos. )-A tall, slender tree, 40 to 80 feet high, with erect branches forming an oblong head. 75% or so of my wood is black locust, most was standing dead when I cut it, plus seasoned for a year at the least. Burned, a cord of black locust … Although a common misconception is that its wood is strong and durable (pioneers built ships and houses with black locust wood), its branches are actually brittle and damage easily in high winds. It's gorgeous wood and, probably worth the effort to work it. Both are considered heavy hard and strong (duh!) Black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia), as it has come to be called, offers superb qualities. Black locust grows quickly and averages 40-70 feet tall at maturity. Hardwoods dry at a rate of 1″ per year under good conditions. Firewood Types : Black Locust, also known as False Acacia, is a native North American tree which has some outstanding properties both as lumber and black locust firewood. We kill the honey locust, coppice the osage orange for firewood and propagate the black locust. At this point they can be collected for the taste good they contain. Culture. The black locust is a shade-intolerant tree and needs plenty of sunlight. firewood: call it a draw . Black locust grows quickly and averages 40-70 feet tall at maturity. There are about ten known species of Black locust trees. This makes it much more efficient firewood than many others. It is a very dense hardwood that puts out a lot of heat and a very long burn. The black locust’s bark is dark in colour with grooves that resemble an intertwining rope. Its heartwood is quite a bit darker, with a reddish-brown ranging fro… Honey locust is said to be very good, like 12 to 15 yrs. #2 • Dec 8, 2015. It has a reputation of being somewhat difficult to work with, hard to saw, nail and glue. White oak by the same book is 3.8 lb/bd ft and red oak 3.7 lb/bd ft. When soaked in water, shavings from osage-orange will turn water yellow. Osage-orange has long bands of confluent parenchyma whereas black locust and red mulberry do not except for sometimes near the latewood. I wish we would have saved a lot of it. Black locust is easily recognized by its leaves and paired spines. Close-ups of very young honey locust seed pods. Both can have thorns, although Honey locust thorns tend to be in groups of 3 whereas black are in groups of 2 (directly opposite one another on branch). New Mexico locust (Robinia neomexicana) is a good choice for the Southwest, and bristly locust (Robinia hispida) grows well in … It's hard as rocks once dried. I believe it also has a … The honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos), also known as the thorny locust or thorny honeylocust, is a deciduous tree in the family Fabaceae, native to central North America where it is mostly found in the moist soil of river valleys. Honey Locust is Gleditsia triacanthos. It is said to be a natural alternative to chemical treated wood, and can last a lot longer than treated wood. In stiffness, it outdoes hickory. Were I to plant and lay a living fence (and I am considering it) it would be a mix of black locust, crab apple, filbert, elm and oak with gooseberries and other shrubs and berries encouraged. Planted in France, it is the source of that country’s Acacia Monofloral Honey even though it is not an Acacia. This table shows those variables that should be evaluated when purchasing firewood. Honey locust firewood is excellent for burning. Long Spur Gobbler; Posts: 6250; Re: Wood density? I do NOT like working with it though. Honey locust is highly adaptable to different environments, has been introduced worldwide, and is an aggressive invasive species. A black locust, Robinia pseudoacacia has seed pods that are 2.5 to about 5 in long, flat and approximately 1/8 in thick. Honey locust firewood is excellent for burning. It is a very dense hardwood that puts out a lot of heat and a very long burn. for firewood, it is comparable to black locust as far as heat output. It is a wood that can spark and pop so best to have a closed fireplace or wood stove when burning indoors. The next spring the poles sprouted! I, myself, love to heat with them. You have to be careful what time of year a black locust is cut. there is a thornless var. In mature trees, trunks reach a diameter of up to 1.2 meters. Unlike Black Locust, it takes hundreds to even thousands of years for tropical hardwoods to reach a harvestable size. BL has deep furrowed bark, HL is a thinner bark and the wild variety has large thorns on the trunk. In bulk, it’s $5.44 per square foot, while ipe is more than $7 per square foot. Black locust will have more of a dull yellow/brown tint. See the image below:So, if you’re looking at a live tree, or one that’s been recently cut down, you can check the tree for thorns. A. Hardwood mulch from trees such as oak, black locust, hickory, and hackberry tends to last a little longer than softwood chips from silver maple, willow, and honey locust. But it’s worth it: Beyond the sustainability benefits, black locust is also cost-effective. Author Topic: Wood density? Black locust is compound, while honey locust is bi-pinately compound as already stated. #7. Honey Locust. It' makes some really good mead I know this is a thread about burning wood so please just humor this former beekeeper that loved it when the hives were just right for the black locust bloom. Heights of 30 to 50 feet and a crown spread of 25 to 35 feet are normal. Black Locust honey is one of the best hones to make mead from. Black locust is the largest member of the Pea family of plants. 2335. also, if the tree has seed pods, the black's resemble a redbud, the honey are long (~12")(too, not all have pods). Although it shares a similar common name with Honey Locust, the two aren’t in … Honey locust tree … and decay resistant in contact with the soil. Commonly found variants of Locust trees include the Black and Honey Locusts. Mimosa trees have pink and white blooms that look something like a powder puff or firework, made up of lots of individual straight strand-like petals. The hardwoods have the highest BTU content and thus are considered the best firewood for high, intense heat. The highest of the high include rock elm, sugar maple, and red oak. Softwoods, like white pine, basswood, green ash, and white spruce, are much less dense and thus do not burn as long with as much heat output. Black Locust trees usually grow to between 12 to 30 meters high, or 40 to 100 feet high. takes 1 yr. to season, a 4″ stick tages 2 years, etc. Black vs Honey Locust … Trying to turn dried locust was not at all fun. It takes a finish really well. Although it shares a similar common name with Honey Locust , the two aren't in the same genus, (Robinia and Gleditsia, respectively). In drying, locust hardly shrinks. black locust has very slightly higher energy/volume, while honey locust has very slightly higher energy/mass. BL has smaller thorns in the twigs by the leaves. These are not rules just trends. It makes great outdoor furniture. a honey has big, nasty, branched thorns. Both the black and honey locust have smooth, thin, shiny seedpods. Honey bees love it, as do many native pollen bees. Like Black Locust, Ipe is beautiful and durable wood that can last a lifetime. Honey locust trees can grow up to between 60 and 80 feet tall, with a spread that is also between 60 and 80 feet. 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