The old saying of a four year old 'Hedge' was "horse high, bull strong and hog tight". When barbed wire replaced it, the hedges were left unmaintained and they grew into full trees. The wood from these were used as fence posts and found to be virtually rot-proof.
I have a friend who has some locust on his farm and I have been meaning to look into getting some of the pods to cultivate. I want this for another reason too as it is supposed to make a fair beer.