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