Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Muskyman on May 15, 2024, 09:28:58 pm

Title: Tree ID
Post by: Muskyman on May 15, 2024, 09:28:58 pm
This tree is scheduled for removal by the power company. It’s on my property and I was told it’s a black locust tree. It has no lower limbs really. It’s tall and forks one time about 40 feet or so up. I’ve already talked with the guy from the power company and told him if it’s black locust I want it cut a certain way to use as bow wood. Best pictures I could get right now.
Title: Re: Tree ID
Post by: Kidder on May 15, 2024, 10:04:06 pm
Looks more like honey locust than black locust to me. Black has deeply furrowed bark. Honey is smoother.
Title: Re: Tree ID
Post by: Muskyman on May 15, 2024, 11:07:43 pm
No spines/thorns on it at all Kidder, not one. I’ve got some honey locust trees.no seed pods around either. I’m going to try and get some better photos of it. Here’s another picture of the bark
Title: Re: Tree ID
Post by: upthecreek on May 15, 2024, 11:12:46 pm
I think certain it is black locust. Honey locust of that size will be covered with 3"-4" thorns. And yes the honey locusts bark is smoother but much smoother than what you have there.
Title: Re: Tree ID
Post by: Bill B. on May 15, 2024, 11:18:42 pm
  Black walnut maybe?
Title: Re: Tree ID
Post by: Juan Ant. Espinosa on May 16, 2024, 05:39:49 am
It seems like a black locust tree but not surely.
If it is another locust will also make a nice bow. I would take it and if you can make good fotos of leaves, branches and flowers I can tell you.
Title: Re: Tree ID
Post by: Eric Krewson on May 16, 2024, 09:57:16 am
The bark doesn't look right for black Locust which is deeply furrowed and has no edges lifting.

 
Title: Re: Tree ID
Post by: Muskyman on May 16, 2024, 10:44:21 am
Went back out and looked at it again today. Kidder might be right. Its leaves seem to be growing in clusters and not like a blank locust does. It’s hard to see good. It’s tall and straight with no lower limbs, I guess because it’s at the bottom of a hill and surrounded by large trees. It doesn’t have any thorns on it though. If it’s honey locust I’ll still get some good firewood. Kinda bummed because I’d hoped to get some nice black locust bow staves.
Title: Re: Tree ID
Post by: TimBo on May 16, 2024, 11:37:30 am
The leaves really look like black locust, but the bark looks like maple (or not BL anyway).  Are you sure the leaves belong to that trunk and aren't from a neighboring tree?
Title: Re: Tree ID
Post by: Zugul on May 16, 2024, 12:40:20 pm
It cannot be black locust, its compound leaves end with a single leaflet. In the pictures of the foliage you can clearly see the compound leaves end with a cuple of leaves. I hope what I mean is comprehensible, as a non-native english speaker it's quite hard to use botanical specific terms in a clear way to understand  :-[
Title: Re: Tree ID
Post by: Juan Ant. Espinosa on May 16, 2024, 01:00:22 pm
https://www.arbolappcanarias.es/en/species/info/gleditsia-triacanthos/

https://dendro.cnre.vt.edu/dendrology/syllabus/factsheet.cfm?ID=30

To me, it seems Gleditsia triacanthos (honey locust). Thorns can have be removed from the trunc or something.
Title: Re: Tree ID
Post by: BryanR on May 16, 2024, 01:20:31 pm
It’s an ornamental, or cultivated, honey locust.

Wikipedia - “It’s cultivars are popular ornamental plants, especially in the northern plains of North America where few other trees can survive and prosper. It tolerates urban conditions, compacted soil, road salt, alkaline soil, heat, and drought. The popularity is in part due to the fact that it transplants so easily. Many cultivated varieties do not have thorns.”

I had one in my yard that I just took down because the trunk was splitting. All my research said it was not good at making bows.  Too brittle.
Title: Re: Tree ID
Post by: Pat B on May 16, 2024, 05:26:50 pm
I agree with Bryan, it's a thornless honey locust. A cultivar used in landscapes. Black locusts have small thorns on the smaller branches and deeply furrowed bark.
Title: Re: Tree ID
Post by: Muskyman on May 16, 2024, 08:26:22 pm
I saw something about the thornless honey locust. This tree is in a very wooded area along side the road. No houses near it. It’s weird but, it’s basically in the middle of nowhere, as far as an ornamental tree would go. Oh well, I didn’t really think it was black locust when the guy from the power company told me it was. Firewood it is.
Title: Re: Tree ID
Post by: hammerstone on May 16, 2024, 09:03:16 pm
I'm saying honey locust. I'm eyeing a freshly uprooted honey locust that has a forked trunk.
One side is hollow and has absolutely no thorns . The other trunk is loaded with them.
I see many examples of thornless in my area.
Title: Re: Tree ID
Post by: Eric Krewson on May 16, 2024, 09:50:28 pm
Thornless Honey Locust Tree (Gleditsia triacanthos f. inermis)
Choose a thornless variety of honey locust trees if you want to grow an elegant, tall honey locust in your garden.

Thornless locust trees have beautiful foliage, bright flowers, and attract honey bees. Because the ‘inermis’ cultivars have no sharp spikes on the bark, there is no danger of injuring yourself.

There are several cultivars of thornless honey locust trees, such as Imperial (‘Impcole’), Skyline (‘Skycole’), Sunburst (‘suncole’), Moraine, Northern Acclaim (‘Harve’), Perfection (‘Wandell’) and Street Keeper (‘Draves’).