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This is an objective of mine, in part, because the Cherokee bow makers used it, along with Bois D'Arc, and in part because the uplands habitat is similar to that of Bois D'Arc. Both seem to thrive in well drained limey soils, and those are abundant in the Ozark Plateau area, and adjacent areas where limestone rock units are at the surface.

A field trip in search of Black Locust or Bois D'Arc could yield either or both.

http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=rops

http://www.biosurvey.ou.edu/shrub/rops.htm

 

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I just pulled some books out of the attic. One states that the Black Locust grows in deep, limy lowland soils. Aaron, I'll look for pics.

Other names are Honey Locust, Thorn Locust, and Three-thorned Locust. We had one growing along a fence line and used to cut off those long, sharp thorns to pretend they were little swords.

 

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I just purchased the:

Field Guide to Trees of North America, by Kershner, Mathews, Nelson & Spellenberg, published by the National Wildlife Federation in 2008. This field guide has a supposedly waterproof cover. More importantly the descriptions are outstanding, and include color photos of leaves, bark, fruit and nuts (no photos of me).

According to this reference, the Black Locust and the Honey Locust are closely related but different. The thorns that I recall are those pictured for the Honey Locust.

 

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Score! Searching the woods in Chandler Park, west Tulsa, I had found only one poor slingshot fork in the hour + that I had allotted. I gave up and began circling back to the truck, and happened upon a power line right of way. Apparently, last summer they had cut down new growth that potentially could in a few years touch the power lines.

I spotted a young tree, in a pile. Near their cut at the base, the oval-shaped trunk is 2" x 2 3/8". I cut about 7' to bring home. I had my own walking stick, but this beast was more useful for climbing a few rock ledges on my return.

Distinguishing tipoffs included the small, sharp spines, 1/4"-3/8" long, less numerous than I remembered on Locust trees, and narrower than those I've seen pictured. The tree had been cut well before leaf drop in the Fall, and so the leaves remained attached. I'd bet this is in the Locust family, and perhaps a Black Locust. I estimate this has been naturally drying for five or six months, a wild guess I admit.