Honey Locust (Gleditsia triacanthos)
Honey Locust (Gleditsia triacanthos), also called Thorny Locust.
Honey Locust trees, native to North and South America, are a strange kind of tree, with long and sharp thorns. The one seen here grows on Grable Road in West Bethlehem Township. It is the only Honey Locust I have seen in the area in 30 years.
The trees have thorns to protect them from wild animals. Their pods, when fully ripe, are a sweet attractant. Trees that look similar to the Honey Locust are the Carob tree and African Locus Bean, neither of which grows here.
Honey Locust trees have been around since the Pleistocene epoch when large sets of animals, Pleistocene megafauna, lived on earth. It was the time of the great mastodons and before the last ice age. The animals during this period are similar to the animals today.
Here is a link to other sites with more information about the pods:
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DISCLAIMER-The content of this article is for educational purposes only. Before using or ingesting any wild herb or plant for edible or medicinal purposes, please consult a physician, medical herbalist, or other suitable professional for advice. Be overly cautious when foraging, and don't eat anything in the wild you are unsure of, and never harvest more than half of a patch of any given plant.
