# Locust trees (thorns)



## neverbilly (Feb 16, 2016)

I see mention quite often of people enjoying burning locust for firewood. Is this the honey locust tree? We have those in my locale and those suckers are bad boys with their thorns. We used to get flat tires in our tractors on the farm and that was not a good thing! If you guys cut locust trees with thorns, how do you do that? Look at this example, do you deal with this and if so, how?


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## Firefighter938 (Feb 16, 2016)

I find the thorns on honey locust are normally very thick for the first 10ft of the main trunk or so, then they thin out considerably. I normally just walk down the trunk and knock the clusters off with the saw, then rake them in a pile and burn. I wear an old pair of my firefighting boots though and they have a steel shank so I don't worry about stepping on them too much. If your boots don't have steel I would be careful.

I have heard of people girdling the tree for a year or two and the thorns will fall off, but I have no first hand experience.


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## Corey (Feb 16, 2016)

Got ya some nice ones there.  Up here, sometimes the thorns can grow to double the diameter of the actual wood.  As said, rake the saw down the side and knock them off...then be careful where you step, run a truck, tractor, or for that matter, a caterpillar tread!  At some point you just have to decide if the wood is really worth it, or if there is something easier to go after!


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## Stinkpickle (Feb 16, 2016)

Start with a bulldozer or small tank.


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## heavy hammer (Feb 16, 2016)

As Others have said run your saw up and down the sides clear them off.  Just be careful.  If possible them pull trunk of tree to a new spot to cut and process.  Sometimes this is not possible so just have to do a lot more manual labor carrying it to the truck to avoid a flat.  Some might say this is to much work for the wood but each their own.


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## Wood Duck (Feb 16, 2016)

There is Honey Locust like the OP posted, and that had ridiculous thorns. There are thornless Honey Locust varieties that are planted as street trees. The wood of both the thorny and thornless Honey Locust trees is the same and quite good as firewood. There is also Black Locust, but maybe not in Louisiana. Black Locust has some thorns, but nothing as dangerous as Honey Locust thorns, Black Locust is the common locust here in PA, and it is a great firewood, so when you hear of people burning locust, it might well be Black Locust.


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## DougA (Feb 16, 2016)

Each locust variety has different thorns. I cut a lot of black locust and there are few thorns worth worrying about once the tree is 15 yrs or older. I've also got Honey with few thorns, Shademaster and 2 others. Only one has bad thorns.


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## taylorfarms (Feb 17, 2016)

we have both varieties here, black locust has maybe 1/4" long thorns and rose like thorns on larger branches, and is much better firewood.  with honey locust we usually sprinkle spike pellets around the tree a year or two before cutting it, most of the small stuff and thorns are gone by the time we cable it out of the woods or roll it around with the excavator, honey locust rots so fast sometimes I wonder if it is even worth it.


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## LocustPocust (Feb 17, 2016)

I've never had the privilege of working with Honey Locust. It's pretty uncommon around here but I know of a few places where it is. Black Locust is widespread around here and the thorns of a HL put the BL to shame. BL trees mature enough for firewood only have thorns in the crown/small branches.


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## CountryBoy19 (Feb 17, 2016)

As stated, Honey Locust usually only has thorns on the bottom 10-15 feet of trunk.

My typical cutting process is as follows: Remove thorns from ground to eye-level while tree is standing. I use my saw, using the top of the bar so the thorns are thrown away from me rather than pulled towards me as they come off. Then I fell the tree and remove the rest of the thorns from the trunk. Rake thorns into pile and burn etc. Then I buck the tree and remove the rest of the thorns that I couldn't get, load bucked pieces up and go.

That being said, I'm not really a fan of honey locust; it seasons like oak (wet & takes a long time) and has all the undesirbable burn characteristics of Black Locust (hard to light, stinks, etc) but none of the desirable burn characteristics of BL (burns like coal, blue flame, rot resistant etc). If I'm going to go through all that hassle and still have what I would call a mediocre wood then I'll go for the oak.

Of course, that really only applies to people that can be picky about wood. I have access to all the wood I could ever want; I can be picky. The woods I will go out of my way to get are: standing dead ash (get a LOT of wood for little work because there isn't much limbing work, I can CSS 2 full cords/day by myself), oak (no explanation needed), hedge (I need it on the super cold nights), black locust (one of my favorites for reloading on top of a hot bed of coals). Woods I will take if easy/available: maple, Tulip Poplar (in smallish amounts), Hickory, Honey Locust, Cherry, etc. There are a few woods I will not take unless I'm being paid to take them: those are pine (hate dealing with the sap), willow, ornamentals, etc.


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## Jags (Feb 17, 2016)

And be very cautious around Honey Locust thorns.  If you get poked, they are notorious for giving infection.


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## blades (Feb 17, 2016)

That is because the very almost unseeable tip mostly breaks off in the wound. Buck Thorn similar. 9 times out ten I have to use a razor knife to do self inflicted surgery to get the beastie out- if I can reach it.


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## Oldman47 (Feb 17, 2016)

With about 1000 ash that I planted back 25 years ago I have a lot of wood to burn before I go after the couple of honey locusts growing wild in an old hedge row on the same property. As Corey said "At some point you just have to decide if the wood is really worth it, or if there is something easier to go after!"


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## TheBigIron (Feb 17, 2016)

We have a wide variety of honey locust and black locust around here.  I think going after the honey locust is well worth it.  We usually drop the tree and then do what @Firefighter938 says cut the thorns then rake them in a pile and burn on the spot.  Be careful those thorns are nasty.  Good luck


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## heavy hammer (Feb 17, 2016)

We seem to have more black locust around my area so the thorns are not quite as much as an issue.  When we do run into a honey locust you just have to be more cautious.  Having an ax or hatchet for skinning off the thorns after the tree is felled will help.  This is one of the reasons many avoid locust.  Heavy carhartt jacket and pants help, and a good pair of heavy duty gloves something puncture or cut resistant.


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## AmbDrvr253 (Feb 17, 2016)

I like locust but i would not consider gathering that specimen...... Ill stick to the city slicker version.....No thorns.


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## FaithfulWoodsman (Feb 17, 2016)

I've burned a little HL years ago, but since I've heard it rots pretty easily. Anyone confirm those rumors. How long does it take to rot or at all if covered. I planned on doing the above suggestions while harvesting a couple I've seen but decided to pass based on the rot issue.


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## AmbDrvr253 (Feb 17, 2016)

Locust, in my observations, can be buried, in dirt, for years and still have plenty of BTU's left. Why else would they use it for fence posts.


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## FaithfulWoodsman (Feb 17, 2016)

AmbDrvr253 said:


> Locust, in my observations, can be buried, in dirt, for years and still have plenty of BTU's left. Why else would they use it for fence posts.


Right black locust lasts longer than steel, but not what I've heard about honey locust.


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## heavy hammer (Feb 17, 2016)

I don't know but I thought all locust was rot resistant.  Does anyone know?


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## Stinkpickle (Feb 17, 2016)

I have a little bit of honey locust in my pile...about two years old. The sapwood has been turned to powder because of insects.


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## heavy hammer (Feb 17, 2016)

I only have black locust in my piles right now the oldest stuff I have is over four years old and as said earlier is as hard as steel.  I have found locust logs partially buried that look horrible on the outside but once cut, the wood is very hard.  I just don't know if it is black or honey locust, burns great.


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## CountryBoy19 (Feb 17, 2016)

AmbDrvr253 said:


> Locust, in my observations, can be buried, in dirt, for years and still have plenty of BTU's left. Why else would they use it for fence posts.


Black or Honey?

I don't think they make posts out of Honey (for good reason). Honey doesn't have near the rot resistance of Black; it's almost like they come from different families or something...

Hint: they aren't even in the same genus, their only relation is that they are deciduous trees; their only similarity is the "locust" in their common name and the fact that they both have some form of compound leaf (honey locust is doubly compound while black is just compound).


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## Stinkpickle (Feb 18, 2016)

The wood database has honey locust as moderately durable to durable on rot resistance, but susceptible to insects, which is exactly what I've been seeing.


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## Stinkpickle (Feb 18, 2016)

Black locust is rated as very durable, however.


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## TheBigIron (Feb 18, 2016)

FaithfulWoodsman said:


> I've burned a little HL years ago, but since I've heard it rots pretty easily. Anyone confirm those rumors. How long does it take to rot or at all if covered. I planned on doing the above suggestions while harvesting a couple I've seen but decided to pass based on the rot issue.


@FaithfulWoodsman I have honey locust that has been css for over 3 years top covered and I see no signs of rot on mine.  I've never heard of locust rotting.


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## FaithfulWoodsman (Feb 18, 2016)

The46Zone said:


> @FaithfulWoodsman I have honey locust that has been css for over 3 years top covered and I see no signs of rot on mine.  I've never heard of locust rotting.


Good to know. What about bugs? Maybe that's what I'm recalling as said above.


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## TheBigIron (Feb 18, 2016)

FaithfulWoodsman said:


> I've burned a little HL years ago, but since I've heard it rots pretty easily. Anyone confirm those rumors. How long does it take to rot or at all if covered. I planned on doing the above suggestions while harvesting a couple I've seen but decided to pass based on the rot issue.


@FaithfulWoodsman I have honey locust that has been css for over 3 years top covered and I see no signs of rot on mine.  I've never heard of locust rotting.


FaithfulWoodsman said:


> Good to know. What about bugs? Maybe that's what I'm recalling as said above.


As far as bugs what I usually do is spray the pile with termite and ant killer in the spring and summer.  That's what I do I have no signs of bugs in the stacks of locust.  I do the same with my elm stacks and other species....


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## sportbikerider78 (Feb 18, 2016)

I have some of those thorned trees on my property.  I shaved them all as soon as I moved in with my chainsaw.  I could just imagine crashed my dirtbike or atv into one and getting those into my torso and hands. 
I went back the following year and put a deep ring around the trucks.  They are dead now..slowing drying as dead standing.

I took a thorn through my leather glove once.  Went deep into my middle finger and hit a nerve.  I had pain in that finger for 6 months before it went away.  Burn them all!


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## FaithfulWoodsman (Feb 18, 2016)

The46Zone said:


> @FaithfulWoodsman
> 
> As far as bugs what I usually do is spray the pile with termite and ant killer in the spring and summer.  That's what I do I have no signs of bugs in the stacks of locust.  I do the same with my elm stacks and other species....


The whole stack top to bottom or just the base? No worries about burning it after the chemicals? Maybe I should try it. I have bad issues with powder post beetles.


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## ElmBurner (Feb 18, 2016)

I guess I figure if you are having trouble with bugs eating your firewood, your firewood is sitting too long and you shouldn't cut so much.  

The only problem I fight in my woodpile is mushrooms and that's from leaving rounds unsplit or trying to save rotten wood instead of throwing it in the brush pile.


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## CentralVAWoodHeat (Feb 18, 2016)

Two ways:  
1.  Only cut the standing dead ones that have been dead for so long that they have no bark or thorns left.
2.  With a bulldozer or bobcat when clearing them is simply a by product of land management.

There are so many better trees out there to burn for the effort and wear and tear on yourself and your equipment.


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## TheBigIron (Feb 18, 2016)

FaithfulWoodsman said:


> The whole stack top to bottom or just the base? No worries about burning it after the chemicals? Maybe I should try it. I have bad issues with powder post beetles.


I usually spray everything from top down usually twice a year, hey seems to work for me.


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## CountryBoy19 (Feb 18, 2016)

The46Zone said:


> @FaithfulWoodsman I have honey locust that has been css for over 3 years top covered and I see no signs of rot on mine.  I've never heard of locust rotting.


Stacked (off the ground) and top covered is not a condition condusive to rot; the real test is the tree that has been laying on the ground for 10 years or more, or the fence-post that has been in the ground for the better part of 3 decades... honey locust won't stand that test, few woods will.


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## heavy hammer (Feb 19, 2016)

The locust that I must be running into is more black locust me and my father found a couple truck loads last year while cutting other stuff.  The stuff was half hurried and looked like junk on the outside but after cutting one or two of the rounds the stuff was hard as a rock, burns great to.  I very rarely ever cut trees down especially locust, it seems it is always clean up jobs or going behind tree clearing crews.  Because of this when I do get ahold of locust it usually doesn't have to many thorns on it.


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## Cluttermagnet (Feb 19, 2016)

We are darned lucky around here- the Locust we have is Black
Locust, and it is a thornless variety. I've been burning Locust
and Red Oak this winter. I rank the Locust right up there with
the Oak. It is a great wood with a lot of BTU's and it coals well.


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## mstoelton (Feb 23, 2016)

Burning some honey locust right now.  Seasoned 2 years it burns fine, makes good heat, and is some of the sweetest smelling wood when you are splitting.  Really pleasant smell when split.  We came into a few cords of honey locust a few years ago.  Got paid to cut and remove it so we kept it for firewood.


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## heavy hammer (Feb 23, 2016)

Just given permission from the road dept to clean up a couple locust trees that fell over they are black locust with almost no thorns.


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## Firefighter938 (Feb 23, 2016)

Black locust and honey locust are totally different trees. Both make excellent firewood, but different chareteristics.


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