The bark is bright red-brown, the long narrow plates separating into thin scales.
The leaves are alternate, heart-shaped, entire 3 to 5 inches long and wide, glossy green turning in autumn to a bright clear yellow.
The conspicuous bright purplish-red, pea-shaped flowers are in clusters along the twigs and small branches and appear before or with the leaves in early spring.
The fruit is an oblong, flattened, many seeded pod, 2 to 4 inches long, reddish during the summer, and often hanging on the tree most of the winter.
The wood is heavy, hard, not strong, rich, dark brown in color, and of little commercial importance. The redbud is cultivated as an ornamental tree and for that purpose might be planted more generally in this State.
The Kentucky coffee-tree, Gymnocladus dioicus K. Koch, though not anywhere a common tree, is found on rich bottom lands throughout the State. The much-divided leaves are 2 to 3 feet long. The pods are 5 to 8 inches long and 1 to 2 inches wide and contain hard seeds ¾ inch long. It has few qualities to recommend it for ornamental planting.
BLACK LOCUST Robinia pseudoacacia L.
THE black locust is a native to the Appalachian Mountains but has been introduced into Illinois, and now occurs throughout the entire State growing on all soils and under all conditions of moisture except in swamps. It is found generally in thickets on clay banks and waste places or along fence rows.