Re: Snake Trees and other Flora

draqonfayir@juno.com writes:
>There are these kind of trees in the northeastern US, as well as other
>places i assume.  Their leaves turn bright yellow during the fall.  In
>the late summer they give off tremendous amounts of tiny bright green
>flowers that cover the sidewalks.  In fall they grow these big seedpods
>that look like peapods with distinct bulges.  The pods are green, but
>they slowly turn brownish-black as the leaves turn yellow.  The turning
>brown-black is a sign that they're drying out; when they dry out, they
>begin to curl into helixes or curves or wave shapes, and then they drop.
>Some of them are part green and part brown.
>
>
>Does anyone know what the trees are really called in English (or any
>translatable language) ?

Hmm I'm not sure but I think they may be Honey Locusts  (Gleditsia
triacanthos)

Heres the description from my Sunset Western Garden Book:

GLEDITSIA triacanthos
Honey Locust
Fabaceae (Leguminosae)

Fast growing with upright trunk and spreading, arching branches. To 35-70
ft. Leaves divided into many oval, 3/4-1 1/2 in.-long leaflets. Late to
leaf out; leaves turn yellow and drop early in fall. Inconspicuous flowers
followed by broad, 1-1 1/2 ft.-long pods filled with a sweetish pulp and
roundish, hard seeds.

Also if its the species, the branches and trunk are often "formidably
thorny". One variety of G. t. inermis is thornless

The name Honey Locust most likely comes from the sweetness of the pulp
inside the beans.


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