coppice species

[Ron Wenrich]

Permacltur <permacltur at aol.com> wrote in article
<19970621130101.JAA25792 at ladder01.news.aol.com>...
> Black locust (robinia psuedoacacia) is a good one for fixing N and has
> extremely high value as fuel, fence posts, and possibly timber if you can
> get good straight strains.  Itr has some value as food, feed, forage and
> is good seasonal bee forage.  It is not always resistant to wind--faster
> growing strains tend to snap off toward the crown--but it is a good
> component for a permaculture-designed deep hedgerow on the sunward edge
> and as nurse for tougher but more nutrient-demanding species.

Black locust also act as real good lightning rods.  Older farms in our area
always had locust in close proximity to the barn.  Lightning would hit the
trees before the barn and black locust seemed to be the tree of choice.

RDW