Black Locust: Appalachia's Gift to World Beekeeping

About this episode

This episode explores the history and significance of black locust in beekeeping and its ecological impact.

Season 8 Episode 8: About Bees, Culture & Curiosity Podcast – Black Locust: Appalachia's Gift to World Beekeeping One of Europe's most famous honey trees actually came from the Appalachian Mountains of North America. In this episode of About Bees, Culture, and Curiosity , we follow the remarkable story of Robinia pseudoacacia , black locust, also known across Europe as "acacia." Originally a minor honey plant of disturbed Appalachian forests, this fast-growing legume escaped its native range and became one of the most widely planted trees on Earth. We explore how black locust spread through France, Hungary, Korea, Japan, and beyond; why beekeepers prize its short but spectacular nectar flow; and how its pale, mild, slow-crystallizing honey became one of Europe's best-known honey types. Along the way, we look at: the confusion between true acacias and false acacia why black locust often performs better outside North America its use for fence posts, mine reclamation, and erosion control the tree's role in carbon capture, and the controversy over how this bee tree is also an invasive ecological threat Recorded in Calgary, May 2026 Please subscribe, like, love, and follow. We live or…

People in this episode

Host: Ron Miksha

Topics covered

• beekeeping
• black locust
• honey production
• invasive species
• carbon capture
• Appalachian ecology

Keywords

• black locust
• beekeeping
• honey
• invasive species
• Appalachian Mountains
• nectar flow
• carbon capture

Mentioned in this episode

Products: Robinia pseudoacacia, black locust, acacia

Books & works: About Bees, Culture & Curiosity

Places: Appalachian Mountains, France, Hungary, Korea, Japan

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