Robinia, False Acacia, Black Locust Tree, native of North America, particularly the south east area near the border with Mexico. It grows very quickly in the first thrity years of life and has very bright green leaves. This leaf colouration made it very attractive to the Victorians who had a fetish for planting ornamental gardens. The Robinia tree, Robinia pseudoacacia to give it its latin botanical name is sometimes erroneously referred to as Acacia, which is in itself a family of trees numbering several hundred if not thousand, a bit like Eucolyptus in number. It is also frown as a firewood crop in Hungary and is being cultivated along with Grey Poplar as a power station fuel. Unlike Phil, I've not had a problem with it splitting significantly, but with all woods, the degree of splitting is more to do with the volume of free water in the tree at the time of felling rather than, generally, the species although the speed of growth bears a relationship to its self destruct capabilities. Wood felled in the cold season when the sap is down is much preferred , but if the wood has been standing dead for three years it is unlikely to split much due to moisture loss, but could well do as a result of tension release from cutting.
Its a lovely wood to turn, quite heavy and a benefit of growing in the UK, the grain is normally quite twisted, it burrs frequently but rarely to a great depth but has some fantastic and frequent flares. Some hate the sme3ll of the cut wood, others find it quite pleasant, to me it smells a bit like freshly cut nettle beds, but others think it smells of cat piss, so take your choice! It has a very high tannin content so fumes well. Heres two examples of Robinia, one fumed and tother not! I was lucky enough to get the tip off several years ago from the local council tree officer that two trees were coming down in the local ornamental park which was planted in the 1850s as compensation by the railway company for driving the railway through the middle of Hitchins common grazing land. The trees last around 150 years and suffer from heart rot. I love the wood, which is just as well as I've got around 5 tons of the stuff in four inch blanks which should be bone dry in another year of so, its been drying now for around five years. Off cuts burn well and the calorific output is superb.
Forgot to mention, the movement of the wood is very low when less than bobe dry and it takes a superb finish. It colours well, if you want to be entertained, watch Andy Coates youtube video on colouring a bowl, it'll convert even the most adamant purist!
