According to observations of naturalists and beekeepers.
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800 – 1200 pounds per acre
SOURCE FOR HONEY BEES:
Black locust is native to the United States, though the extent of its original range is not accurately known. It is thought that black locust was originally found in 2 regions. The eastern region was centered in the Appalachian Mountains and ranged from central Pennsylvania and southern Ohio south to northeastern Alabama, northern Georgia, and northwestern South Carolina. The western region included the Ozark Plateau of southern Missouri, northern Arkansas, and northeastern Oklahoma and the Ouachita Mountains of central Arkansas and southeastern Oklahoma. It is thought that outlying native populations existed in southern Indiana and Illinois, Kentucky, Alabama, and Georgia. Black locust has been widely planted and frequently escapes cultivation. As of 2009, it occurred throughout the conterminous United States and a number of Canadian provinces. Black locust also occurs in parts of South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia.
Black locust has been widely planted for windbreaks and shelterbelts, as woody biomass for energy production, and as a street or ornamental tree. It has also been widely planted for honey production.
This plant is present in at least 55 states/provinces in this country.
Black locust trees develop extensive root systems. Radial root extent is about 1 to 1.5 times tree height. Within black locust's native range, lateral surface root extensions of 165 feet (50 m) were documented.
Black locust matures to a medium-sized tree, generally 40 to 60 feet (12-18 m) in height and 12 to 30 inches (30-76 cm) in diameter. Within its native range, black locust averaged 4 stems/"rootstalk". Frequent frosts may result in crooked growth.
Young black locust bark is smooth and brown. Young trees are thorny. As trees age, the bark becomes thick, deeply furrowed, scaly, and dark brown. Black locust leaves are deciduous, alternate, and pinnately compound, with 7 to 19 leaflets on a central stalk that is 8 to 12 inches (20-30 cm) long. Leaflets are 30 to 50 mm long. Black locust flowers are about 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide, very fragrant, and produce large amounts of nectar. They are showy, white, and fragrant, in drooping clusters about 6 inches (14 cm) long. Clusters arise from leaf axils near the tip of new shoots. Black locust fruits are flat legumes 3 to 4 inches (7-10 cm) long. Seeds are dark, bean-like, 3 to 5 mm long, and have a hard, impermeable coat. Each legume contains approximately 4 to 8 seeds.
Within its native range, black locust generally flowers from April to June. In its nonnative range, flowering occurs mostly from May to June in the Pacific Northwest, California, the Southwest, Northeast and Canada, and Great Plains. Earlier flowering occurs from March to May in north-central Texas, while later flowering occurs in some parts of New England, extending into July. In the uplands of the Adirondacks, flowering generally occurs only in June.
Salix lucida (aka: Shining willow, Greenleaf willow, Tail-leaf willow, Whiplash willow, Pacific willow, Lance-leaf willow, Longleaf willow, Red willow, Western shining willow)
Prunus pumila (aka: Sandcherry, Western sandcherry, Eastern sandcherry, Great Lakes sandcherry)
Salix bebbiana (aka: Bebb willow, Beak willow, Beaked willow, Long-beaked willow, Diamond willow, Chaton, Petit Minou, Smooth Bebb willow)
Acer platanoides (aka: Norway maple)
Salix lutea (aka: Yellow willow)
Vaccinium angustifolium (aka: Lowbush blueberry, Early low-bush blueberry, Low sweet blueberry)
Rubus canadensis (aka: Smooth blackberry, Thornless blackberry, Canadian blackberry, Smooth highbush blackberry)
Robinia pseudoacacia (aka: Black locust, False acacia, Yellow locust, White locust, Green locust, Post locust, Falsa acacia, Robinia)
Catalpa speciosa (aka: Northern catalpa, Hardy catalpa, Western catalpa, Cigar tree, Catawba-tree, Bois chavanon)
Rhamnus cathartica (aka: Common buckthorn, European buckthorn, Dahurian buckthorn)
Acer pensylvanicum (aka: Striped maple, Moosewood, Goosefoot maple, Whistlewood)
Salix amygdaloides (aka: Peachleaf willow, Peach leaf willow)
Acer spicatum (aka: Mountain maple, Low maple, Moose maple, Water maple, Plaine batarde, Fouereux)
Malus ioensis (aka: Bechel crab, Crab apple, Iowa crab, Iowa crab apple, Prairie crab, Prairie crab apple)
Astragalus (aka: Milkvetch, Locoweed, Goat's-thorn)
Rubus idaeus (aka: Raspberry, Black-haired red raspberry, Brilliant red raspberry, American red raspberry, Red raspberry, Smoothleaf red raspberry, Wild raspberry, Wild red raspberry, Grayleaf raspberry)
Rubus parviflorus (aka: Thimbleberry, Western thimbleberry)
Rhus glabra (aka: Smooth sumac, Common sumac, Rocky Mountain sumac, Red sumac, Western sumac, White sumac)
Allium schoenoprasum (aka: Chives)
Sinapis arvensis (aka: Charlock mustard, California rape, Charlock, Corn mustard, Canola, Kaber mustard, Rapeseed mustard)
Gleditsia triacanthos (aka: Honey locust, Honey shucks locust, Common honeylocust, Sweet bean locust)
Aronia melanocarpa (aka: Black chokeberry, Rowan, Mountain Ash, Sorbus)
Prunus serotina (aka: Black cherry, Wild black cherry, Rum cherry, Mountain black cherry, Wild cherry)
Prunus pensylvanica (aka: Pin cherry, Fire cherry, Bird cherry)
Asclepias tuberosa (aka: Butterflyweed, Butterfly Milkweed, Orange Milkweed, Pleurisy Root, Chigger Flower, Canada root, Fluxroot, Indian paintbrush, Indian posy, Orange root, Orange Swallow-wort, Tuber root, Yellow milkweed, White-root, Windroot, Butterfly love)
Tilia americana (aka: American basswood, Basswood, Linden)
Rubus chamaemorus (aka: Cloudberry, Bake apple, Baked apple berry, Bakeapple, Nordic berry, Knotberry, Aqpik, Low-bush salmonberry, Averin, Evron)
Amorpha fruticosa (aka: Desert false indigo, False indigo-bush, Bastard indigobush, Indigo Bush)
Asclepias syriaca (aka: Сommon milkweed, Butterfly flower, Silkweed, Silky swallow-wort, Virginia silkweed)
Brassica rapa (aka: Field mustard, Common mustard, Wild mustard, Wild turnip, Forage turnip, Wild rutabaga, Birdsrape mustard, Rape mustard)
Cirsium arvense (aka: Creeping Thistle, Canada thistle, Field thistle, California thistle, Lettuce from hell thistle, Corn thistle, Cursed thistle, Green thistle, Hard thistle, Perennial thistle, Prickly thistle, Small-flowered thistle, Way thistle, Stinger-needles)
Echium vulgare (aka: Viper's bugloss, Blueweed, Blue thistle)
Agastache foeniculum (aka: Giant hyssop, Blue giant hyssop, Anise hyssop, Fragrant giant hyssop, Lavender giant hyssop)
Chamaenerion angustifolium (aka: Fireweed, Great willowherb, Rosebay willowherb, Saint Anthony's Laurel, French-willow)
Borago officinalis (aka: Borage, Starflower, Common borage, Cool-tankard, Tailwort)
Prunus virginiana (aka: Chokecherry, Western chokecherry, Common chokecherry, Black chokecherry)
Diervilla lonicera (aka: Northern bush honeysuckle, Bush-honeysuckle, Dwarf bush-honeysuckle, Herbe bleue)