Clicking any heading in the main data area (at right) will scroll the page back to this top position. Use the following links to jump to the associated section in the main data. Blunting Effect Boring Carving Common Names Common Uses Countries of Distribution Cutting Resistance Distribution Overview Drying Defects Ease of Drying Environmental Profile Gluing Grain Heartwood Color Kiln Drying Rate Mortising Moulding Nailing Natural Durability Natural Growth Defects Numerical Data Odor Planing Polishing Product Sources References Regions of Distribution Resistance to Impregnation Response to Hand Tools Routing & Recessing Sanding Sapwood Color Scientific Name Screwing Staining Texture Toxicity Trade Name Tree Size Turning		Scientific Name Gleditsia triacanthos Trade Name Honeylocust Family Name Common Names Honeylocust, Locust, Sweet-locust, Thorny-locust Regions of Distribution North America Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP] United States Common Uses Beams, Building construction, Building materials, Cabin construction, Chairs, Chests, Concealed parts (Furniture), Concrete formwork, Construction, Decks, Desks, Dining-room furniture, Dowell pins, Dowells, Drawer sides, Factory construction, Fine furniture, Floor lamps, Form work, Foundation posts, Framing, Furniture , Furniture components, Furniture squares or stock, Hatracks, Heavy construction, Interior construction, Interior trim, Joists, Kitchen cabinets, Light construction, Living-room suites, Millwork, Moldings, Office furniture, Porch columns, Posts, Radio - stereo - TV cabinets, Rough construction, Rustic furniture, Stakes Environmental Profile Questionable Extinct Endangered Widespread May be rare in some parts of its range Globally secure Data source is Nature Conservancy Abundant Distribution Overview The natural range of honey-locust extends from central Pennsylvania through extreme southern Ontario, extreme southern Michigan, southern Wisconsin, and extreme southeastern Minnesota to extreme southeastern South Dakota; south through eastern Nebraska to eastern Texas; east to Alabama; and northeast along the western slopes of the Appalachians. Isolated populations occur in northwestern Florida. Honey-locust is naturalized east of the Appalachians as far north as Nova Scotia. Also introduced, established and possibly spreading, sometimes as a weed tree in India, New Zealand and South Africa. Prefers floodplain forests, old fields and roadsides. Heartwood Color Yellow Brown Orange Red Green/grey Reddish brown Light red Bright cherry-red Sapwood Color Red Brown Yellow White to yellow Clearly differentiated from the heartwood The sapwood is wide, yellowish in color, and is fairly well defined from the heartwood Grain Even Straight Straight Grain is usually straight, and the wood often has an attractive figure and color Texture Fine Very fine Uneven textured Texture is moderately open and somewhat uneven. Natural Growth Defects Gum/resin streaks Reddish brown gum Natural Durability Durable Susceptible to insect attack Perishable Resistant to powder post beetles Non-durable Sapwood susceptible to attack by wood boring insects Heartwood has high natural resistance Odor No specific smell or taste Toxicity Some toxic effects Drying Defects Checking Splitting Surface checks End checks End-Checks and surface-checks may occur due to the presence of refractory wood Ease of Drying Fairly Easy Slowly Little degrade Easy Kiln Drying Rate Naturally dries slowly Tree Size Tree height is 0-10 m Tree height is 10-20 m Bole length is 0-10 m Product Sources Honeylocust timber is rather scarce, and when available, it is often used locally. Blunting Effect Moderate Boring Fair to good results Carving Fairly Easy to Very Easy Cutting Resistance Easy to saw Gluing Fairly Easy to Very Easy Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Mortising Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Moulding Fair to Good Results Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Fairly Easy to Very Easy Nailing Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Fair to Good Results Pre-Boring Recommended Poor to Very Poor Results Tends to split during nailing Planing Fair to Good Results Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Very Good to Excellent Results Resistance to Impregnation Resistant heartwood Resistant sapwood Response to Hand Tools Easy to Work Responds Readily Fairly Difficult to Difficult to Work Moderately difficult to very difficult to machine Routing & Recessing Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Sanding Fairly Easy to Very Easy Very Good to Excellent Results Screwing Pre-boring recommended Fair to Good Results Very Good to Excellent Results Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Fairly Easy to Very Easy Wood is liable to split Poor screwing properties Turning Fairly Easy to Very Easy Very Good to Excellent Results Fair to Good Results Polishing Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Very Good to Excellent Results Staining Fair to Good Results Very Good to Excellent Results Responds rather well to most finishing agents Numerical Data Item Green Dry English Bending Strength 9996 14406 psi Crushing Strength 1127 1803 psi Hardness 1548 lbs Impact Strength 46 46 inches Maximum Crushing Strength 4332 7350 psi Shearing Strength 2205 psi Stiffness 1264 1597 1000 psi Work to Maximum Load 13 13 inch-lbs/in3 Specific Gravity 0.56 0.62 Weight 58 42 lbs/ft3 Radial Shrinkage 4 % Tangential Shrinkage 7 % Volumetric Shrinkage 11 % Item Green Dry Metric Bending Strength 702 1012 kg/cm2 Crushing Strength 79 126 kg/cm2 Hardness 702 kg Impact Strength 116 116 cm Maximum Crushing Strength 304 516 kg/cm2 Shearing Strength 155 kg/cm2 Stiffness 88 112 1000 kg/cm2 Work to Maximum Load 0.91 0.91 cm-kg/cm3 Specific Gravity 0.56 0.62 Weight 929 673 kg/m3 Radial Shrinkage 4 % Tangential Shrinkage 7 % References Boone, R.S., C.J. Kozlik, P.J. Bois, E.M. Wengert. 1988. Dry Kiln Schedules for Commercial Hardwoods - Temperate and Tropical. USDA, Forest Service, General Technical Report FPL-GTR-57, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin. Little, E.L. 1980. The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees - Eastern Region. Published by Arthur A. Knopf, New York. Panshin, A.J. and C. deZeeuw. Textbook of Wood Technology. McGraw-Hill Series in Forest Resources. McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York. Patterson, D. 1988. Commercial Timbers of the World. Fifth Edition. Gower Technical Press, Aldershot, UK. ix + 339 pp. USDA. 1987. Wood Handbook : Wood as an Engineering Material. United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Agriculture Handbook No. 72. Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin. USDA. 1988. Dry Kiln Operators Manual, Preliminary Copy. Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin.