Black Locust Bloom

[mobees]

I saw it in Bloom in Albany today 05/29/2008

[spunky]

My Grandma always said that a heavy locust bloom was a sign of a wet June. Also, Ash before Oak, a year of fire and smoke; Oak before Ash, a year of rain and dash. (Based on leafing out.) looks like we are in for a wet june and a dry august around here. Will have to wait till August to see what winter holds, for every fog in August is a snow in January.

Heavy black locust bloom here 47833- petal fall started yesterday, of course none of my hives are close to any stands

[Michael Bush]

I'm in Southeast Nebraska. They were starting to bloom last friday and are in full bloom now.

[Hobie]

Kind of off-topic: Does anyone else get inundated with those horrible biting insects that look like large gnats? Someone told me they live in the locust trees, and their arrival here corresponds with the bloom. About 2 weeks of torment, then they are gone.

[Galaxy]

Black locust was in full bloom in Virginia when I left for France on May 10. They were also in full bloom here in the Burgundy region of France when I arrived, but are done now. The French call them Acacia and they are a major nectar source. You see a lot of Acacia honey in the markets. The trees are widely planted here for landscaping purposes and are very plentiful in the wild.

I spoke with a professional beekeeper this past Thursday about these trees and he said that the European trees are from Asia. I had always thought they were originally imported from America. They look almost identical to our Black Locust.

[denny]

Saw a few big Black Locust trees in Brattleboro a few days ago just beginning to bloom. Blossoms were starting to open on the lower limbs. What a wonderfully fragrant smell.

[Benton2569]

They have been blooming here in the greater Hartford area for about a week ....but I dont see any where I live.

When we are out driving my wife say that all I do is repeat my self "theres another black locust tree, bees love em, they sure produce lots of nectar.....haven't seen any where we live". I think she is ready to throw me out of the car!

[John Gesner]

Black Locust is just about done here. The rain today and tomorrow should finish off any blooms.

[mike haney]

Kind of off-topic: Does anyone else get inundated with those horrible biting insects that look like large gnats? Someone told me they live in the locust trees, and their arrival here corresponds with the bloom. About 2 weeks of torment, then they are gone.

they couldnt survive here in ky as our locusts apparently have a mind of thier own and dont bloom on any schedule that i can figure out. some years heavy long lasting bloom then might not bloom at all for 2 years!

[Michael Palmer]

Bloom just starting here in northern Champlain valley.

[Drifter]

Ours are all but done now . Hated to cut my grass as the white clover was up real good .

Drifter

[paintingpreacher]

Black locust bloomed in this area about 4-5 weeks ago. We had a pretty heavy bloom this spring with all the spring rains. Most everything has ended except clover. The sumac is getting really close and then the peppervine and redvine. Amazing the difference in the bloom times from north to south.

[suttonbeeman]

Locust dont bloom only because they get freeze damage. Bloom pod is first thing out of nodule on branch....If temp hits 31 deg.....bye bye bloom! Bloom lasted for two weeks here in central ky.....bees flew 3 days! rest were cloudy, cool and damp! What a pain in the @)%#@!

[Galaxy]

they couldnt survive here in ky as our locusts apparently have a mind of thier own and dont bloom on any schedule that i can figure out. some years heavy long lasting bloom then might not bloom at all for 2 years!

The same is true in Virginia. Also, in Virginia there is a locust leaf miner that destroys the leaves (they mostly turn brown) each year. I'm surprised that the trees can survive this damage year-after-year. I suppose, being a legume (nitrogen fixing) helps them survive. The leaf miner sure makes them look bad though. Is the leaf miner a problem in other areas?