Locust
trees are my favorite! I love the light shade and the branch structure and I HATE the thorns.
I agree that the thornless trees are easier on everyone, especially in yards, but all of us permies need to tune into what the "seedless, thornless, fruitless" tree choices really mean.
Understand what you are choosing. I had never thought it out, but, after taking the Master Gardeners
class, I am on a mission. We don't need to be building a sterile world.
All of these types are actually cloned male trees that "won't mess up your
lawn" with flowers, seeds/fruit or thorns.
BIG NEWS!!! The clones, being male, put out POLLEN. Do we really want the majority of trees to be doing that?
Next time you are offered, say, a cottonless cottonwood, just say no and pick a type of tree that doesn't produce cotton.
I am still going to have locusts. I collect the big pods off the "momma" trees that are usually found in big box stores' parking lots. (They don't always get what they pay for.)
l be the one cussin' the thorns.
