Tree Crops: Honey Locust

I’ve been reading Tree Crops by J. Russel Smith and it talks about using honey locust pods as a food source for livestock. It mentions mostly cattle eating honey locust pods, but it also mentions pigs eating them. However, I was wondering what part of the pod is edible to pigs. Do they eat the seeds or the sugar part? Or do they eat both?

I planted some Honey Locusts several years back, in hopes of providing fodder for pigs and cows.
My understanding is that the sweet pulp surrounding the seeds within the pods is the main food value of them.

My trees have grown very slowly and haven't made pods yet, so I cannot say from personal experience yet.

George Ingles wrote:I planted some Honey Locusts several years back, in hopes of providing fodder for pigs and cows.
My understanding is that the sweet pulp surrounding the seeds within the pods is the main food value of them.

My trees have grown very slowly and haven't made pods yet, so I cannot say from personal experience yet.

In the book it says the pods can be ground up and cattle can eat the pulp and seeds. However, it also said sheep have the ability to grind up the seeds themselves, because the way their teeth are designed. So I was thinking pigs may be able to do the same. Also it says i the book if you graft the trees they can produce a fair crop within 5 years. Up to 250 lbs of pods/ tree. Yeah  Highly recommended the book.

We have a few honey locust, but a lot more black locust , growing hither and you.  Please be vigilant as you work with either. Takes a while to heal up from the copious thorns, especially if if through a shoe into bottom of feet. Ask me how I know, I got some steel shank boots after.   One thorn from a year ago is the gift that keeps on giving

...hither and yon... .(bloody autocorrect )

My Black Locusts have rather impressive thorns, but those are some SERIOUS THORNS!
... It makes me glad that the Honey Locusts I planted are a selected thornless variety.

I want to expand on what Rico already mentioned--the thorns!!


I had a few, short Honey Locust bushes on my property when I bought it.  I thought that they would be the end of me.  Those thorns are really something else.  It is so very difficult for me to even handle the wood sometimes because those 3" thorns are so sharp and so strong that they easily cut skin.  If I remember correctly, they are mildly toxic, thus causing scratches that do not heal up as quickly as others have in the past.  When I say mildly toxic, I don't mean these are going to kill or really harm your health unless your diet was nothing but Honey Locust thorns, but when they scratch, the wounds are jagged and swell a bit.  They do of course heal, but I have a couple of 4"-5" scars left from my battles trying to move Honey Locust brambles that have either been cut down or somehow fell on the ground, perhaps from weather or some other cause.

The worst battle I ever had was when I inadvertently drove my tractor over a Honey Locust twig laying on the ground.  That little stick had a bend in the branch and as I rolled over it, the branch popped up and a thorn punched right into the sidewall of the right front tire of the tractor!  And I mean that thorn completely punctured the sidewall and the tire deflated almost immediately.  Very slowly, gently I drove the tractor back home and that tire was almost shredded, flopping off the tire rim.  I took the tire/rim into the dealer and they told me that I would need two new front tires!  So that tractor now has two front tires that are newer than the rear tires!  It was not cheap.



I am not telling anyone not to grow Honey Locust if that is your plan.  Honey Locust have several useful advantages and might well suit your goals.  I fully support you if that is the way you want to go.   Just please beware of those thorns!!!






Good luck in whatever you want to do and my hopes are with you!!


Eric