Honey locust

Description:

The honey locust or thorny locust is a deciduous tree with masses of spiky thorns that grow about 2-4 inches long.

Habitat:

I found this honey locust at the edge of a woodland meadow, nearer the bottom of a hill so it gets plenty of run off water.

Notes:

Per my mother (so take it with a grain of salt) the purpose of the thorns in the paleolithic era was to keep mammoths from eating the bark of the trees. The tree is considered invasive and the thorns are sturdy enough to puncture car tires. They have been used as nails in the past. The wood is rot resistant and dense. The pulp inside the pods is edible and has a sweet taste. It has been used in traditional Native American medicine and also as a tea.