Black Locust

Hard, durable and controversial

- Text and photos by Ken Burton

Whistle while you turn.

These small black locust whistles proved to be a fun project for my beginning spindle-turning students. Everyone smiles after their first tootle. Despite its hardness, the wood turns well even when cutting against the grain.

In some ways, black locust might be considered a superhero (or maybe a supervillain). The tree the lumber comes from is one of the fastest-growing hardwoods, and the wood is one of the hardest, stiffest, and most rot-resistant species native to North America. It's rapidly gaining traction as a “greener, more sustainable alternative to both pressure-treated lumber and many of the rainforest species imported for decking. When properly dried, the wood is quite stable and relatively easy to work given its hardness. Even as firewood, black locust stands out as having one of the highest BTU values of any North American species. The tree is also quite hardy and adaptable to many climates. Strong, resilient, easy to work-super.But black locust has a sinister side. When planted, it can quickly gain a foothold and crowd out other native species. It also grows back quickly from stumps and roots after being cut down making it hard to eradicate. Because of these aggressive tendencies, some areas and even states consider it an invasive species and outlaw its propagation.

Where the wood comes from