Black Locust 

Medium sized tree with deciduous pinnately compound leaves with an often twisted and forking trunk. The bark is rough and often orangey brown with braided or roping looking ridges and deep furrows. The fruit is a wide pod flattened and usually dark brown. 

Distribution: Native to the southeastern United States, naturalized over time to cover much of   the United States and southern Canada plus parts of Europe, Asia and South America.

Uses: The bark, leaves, and wood are toxic to humans and livestock. Black locust is a major honey plant in the eastern U.S. it is a source of the renowned acacia honey. Black locust has nitrogen-fixing bacteria on its root system, this causes black locust to be very good for soil. It is also planted for firewood due to being extremely hard wood, ideal for heating and wood uses. It is used as a laxative, antispasmodic, and diuretic in India. The flowers are sometimes used to produce a sweet and perfumed jam in Romania. France and in Italy, the flowers are eaten as beignets after being coated in batter and fried in oil. Also eaten in Japan, largely as tempura.   The wood of the black locust is very durable and heavy, causing it to be good for fires and heating.