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TT: Re: Locusts
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Here at Boston's southern edge, black locust is a common colonizer of
disturbed areas, often forming large patches (as if it spreads by root
suckers--does it?)
A longhorn beetle whose grubs inhabit this species, the locust borer, is
also common, and the yellow-striped adults are conspicuous on patches of
goldenrod in late summer. Perhaps they are responsible for large amount of
deadwood seen amongst most locusts' smaller branches.
The locusts leaf out quite late--well into May--apparently later than any
other local species. One drawback to them is that their shade is so light
that barbarous thickets of multiflora rose can flourish underneath them for
many years (these thickets fade rapidly under maturing black cherry, etc.).
Thornless honey locusts are common in street plantings, but do not
apparently escape. There are, however, a few heavily-armed examples of the
parent species adventive here and there (they are not native to the area).
Does the thornless habit breed true? Are the thorny adventives descendants
of the thornless plantings?
Thomas Palmer
Milton, MA
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