Honey Locust Are Actually Edible

Honey Locust is a medium sized tree that is easy to identify. The trees have compound leaves and are literally covered in very sharp very stout spines. Quite formidable! Seriously, even this tree's spine has spines. The spines cover the entire tree branches and even the trunk itself. The only part that doesn't have spines, is the roots beneath the ground.

Honey locust trees occur all across the continental United States with the exception of the states of Oregon and Washington. So availability is really good. Honey locust trees have tight grayish colored bark and grow to 100 feet tall. I won't get long winded on identification because one simple photo is all you need to easily recognize this plant. It is unique and unmistakable.

The young, tender pods can be cooked like green beans. Do not try this with older more mature seed pods. Their seed pods, if collected before they dry up in the fall, contain nice smelling goo. This goo is edible and has a sweet taste. The hard mature seeds are also edible and can be ground into a flour.

So there you have it. Even this lowly Honey Locust tree, despised for its tire and shoe puncturing spines has a good practical food use for you as well as wildlife.