...eye of the beholder...

This tree is a Black Locust (Robinia psuedoacacia). It is a native tree. Its name comes from colonial period English botanists who noticed the similarity of the leaves to the Acacia trees of Asia and Africa. In general, it is not considered to be an attractive or desirable landscape tree. It can be considered to be a native invasive, meaning it can spread rapidly and crowd out other trees. It often has a craggy, poorly shaped form. They often lean. It reproduces by seeds and shoots that come up from the roots. These can be quite a nuisance. It often develops unsightly dead branch tips. There is a transplanted specimen of this tree in the famous Kew Gardens in England which is well over two hundred years old, having been transplanted from America. Its gnarly trunk was held together by bands of iron. This big old tree here in Northville is a great specimen too! The eye of the beholder.