May 29, 2009
Black Locust (Robbinia pseudo-acacia)
The flowers of the Black Locust permeate the air in May with a sweet perfume. The sweetpea-like flowers reveal that this tree is a legume that, like all other legumes, has the ability to "fix" nitrogen and thus enrich the soil. Black Locusts are native to the southern United States, but were brought north by early settlers and planted so that they could be harvested for their wood. The wood is resistant to rot, and makes durable fence posts.