- Honey locust pods are flat and often twisted and have a tough, leathery skin. These pendulous pods vary from reddish-brown to dark brown and measure 8 to 18 inches long and 1 inch wide when they mature. The pods contain 10 to 20 brown oval seeds that are each about 1 centimeter long. The pods ripen around mid-September in southern climates and around mid-October in northern climates. The pods eventually fall to the ground but sometimes stay on the trees into the winter.
- Honey locust tree pods provide high-protein food for many animals, including cattle, goats, deer, squirrels, opossums, rabbits, quail and starlings. According to the Springtree Agroforestry Project, the nutritional value of pods is comparable to oats and barley, but variable from specimen to specimen, depending on growing conditions. Cattle are not able to digest the seeds, although sheep can. One way that the tree spreads to other locations is by way of seeds in the feces of cattle and other animals.
- Not all honey locust trees produce pods. In particular, the thornless honey locust tree, which is commonly planted as a shade tree, often doesn't have pods. Because pods can be quite messy on a lawn, tree varieties that produce few or no pods are often preferred for landscaping.
- You can use honey locust tree pods to make Christmas wreaths. First assemble bunches of evergreen branches onto a wire wreath form and then use hot glue to attach the pods.
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