the black locust is a tree in the fabaceae family, its branches are speckled with up to 1 inch thorns, the seed pods, leaves and bark are toxic to eat, only the flowers can be consumed safely. black locust wood is strong and rot resistant, making it valuable. black locust wood also burns slowly, and produces a lot of heat. the tree can sprout up other black locust trees around it, and those will grow and produce more, using only the roots of the tree, to grow an entire black locust forest. the flowrs are very fragrent and are a favorite flower for bees.