Black Locust
Robinia pseudoacacia (USDA, Wikipedia, GoBotany) is a plant species native to North America, and not invasive. But due to it's aggressive spread through a root network, it does it's best to imitate an invasive species, outgrowing other trees in an area.
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The trees are notable for their height and thickly corrugated bark. Branches tend to be small as growth continues along the main trunk. Leaves are compound, with small leaves. The young saplings have thorns to protect them. It has an wood which is harder than black oak!
Black Locust isn't generally a problem on Acton Conservation Lands. There was a cluster at the east side of the upper meadow in Great Hill which was pretty much a monoculture, but it has seen over half the trees blown down between 2015 and 2024. There was another cluster on the north side of the town land on the northeast side of the Route 2A/Main St. intersection (the Little League playing fields), which has been removed as part of improving the habitat for Box Turtles.
Removal
As a native species, the removal of Black Locust from Conservation Land without explicit permission from the relevant committees (Conservation Commission and Acton Conservation Trust, to begin with) is not allowed unless it is growing into an existing trail.