One of my personal favorite trees. We will either solve all the world’s problems or not, and the whole time black locust will just keep on growing.
This pioneer species is great at getting established quickly on marginal lands. This is in part due to its ability to take much of the nitrogen it needs out of the air! This is called nitrogen fixation.
What Is Nitrogen Fixation?
Nitrogen fixation is essentially when a plant can convert atmospheric nitrogen into a form which can be used in the soil by plants.
Generally, if a plant can fix its own nitrogen, it can more easily become independent and live in more challenging contexts with lower fertility.
For such a fast growing tree, wood quality is exceptional. The wood of Black Locust is some of the hardest known. Coveted for its rot-resistance, it is used commonly for fence posts and other outdoor projects where pressure treated wood is not desirable.
The flowers are exceptional as well. They are sweet smelling white clusters which hang from the branches in spring. They are edible, delicious, and also highly attractive to bees. Great tree for beekeepers.
Great tree for silvopasture systems.
The seedlings for sale this year come from seeds of strong wild plantings selected for seed production in state nurseries. The urban food forest where these seeds were collected unfortunately no longer exists, so these genetics are special to me as they, in part, hold the memory of that place.
What Are Seedlings?
Seedlings are plants that have been grown directly from a seed. They are genetic individuals whose traits that are not exactly known. Seedlings are in contrast with plants which have been cloned, as cloned plants are sure to have certain characteristics.
Often seedlings share characteristics with their parents, but exactly how much is shared depends on the species of plant. Having good parents certainly doesn’t hurt!
Growth Parameters:
Plant in as much sun as possible. Full size tree. Can be planted in marginal soils. Can be cut to ground to harvest wood but expect the roots to send up many shoots in response.
Growth for black locust is rapid. Expect to measure growth in feet, not inches.
