The Brief Bloom of Black Locust

Some years, the black locust trees here never bloom at all. Or at least not enough to notice. Not enough to scent the roadsides with that sweet, almost honeyed fragrance that drifts through the mountains when the trees are heavy with flowers. But this year they bloomed. The black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) is native to Appalachia and grows quickly here along hillsides, pasture edges, and old roads. Farmers often say locust makes the best fence posts because the wood resists rot far longer than most native species. Around these mountains, you still see split rail fences anchored by old locust posts that have weathered decades of rain and snow. When the trees flower, though, it’s the blooms that capture me. The black locust belongs to the pea family, and once you look closely at the flowers, the resemblance becomes obvious — soft white blossoms shaped like oversized pea blooms, hanging in fragrant clusters from the branches. The flowers are edible when gathered fresh, and their…