Maybe I'll plant some Locust. The harshness of this past winter all but killed the Japanese Maple in the middle of our big lawn. It has a couple shoots trying to grow out of the trunk, but everything else is dead. I'm going to have to cut it down. The trees are suffering, especially the conifers. There is a fungus attacking the spruce, and pine borers are devastating the pines. Everywhere I drive, I see dying trees. I fear that before too many years pass, the Norway spruce that tower over the house will be no more, and the black cherry out back is hollow inside. If these go, there is little besides the ash and maple behind the garage to shelter the house. We have a few oaks and sugar maples that are sprouting in various places on the property, but we will be long gone before they amount to much. But then there's the Locust.
The other day when Linda and I took our little jaunt to Ellicottville, I noted on the way home how the locust is in full bloom. It's one thing driving through a grove of them in a car, but on a bike, the experience is positively heavenly! The fragrance of the Locust has to be experienced to be believed. It is sweet, like honeysuckle, and this year, the trees are loaded with blossoms.
Tonight, I'm sitting in the dark on our back deck, listening to the gurgle of the creek and the ringing in my ears. The air is calm, and I can just barely sniff the scent of the locust up the road. Having it nearby would make a night like tonight complete. The only problem with locust is the way it multiplies. Like sumac, it spreads by sending runners underground that sprout willy-nilly. A single locust becomes a grove in no time unless the shoots are mowed regularly. The young trees are thorny, with sharp spikes a couple inches long. On the other hand, they are easy to propagate and grow fast. Shove a locust branch into the ground, and it will root. The best part is the honey that comes from them. I doubt if I'll get to it this year, but by next year, I'd like to be keeping bees again, and there is not a more delicate, flavorful honey than locust.
My friend Harry has a locust grove in his side yard. I think I'll pay him a visit.
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