Terminal buds are conspicuously absent. Side buds are usually hidden by the petiole base or sunken beneath the eaf scar. Twigs are glabrous, or only slightly hairy, and a glossy, dark brown. Spines are unbranched and may remain attached tothe brance for many years. June flowers are fragrant and white to ivory in color.
Flowers are the source of nectar for a preferred honey.
The pod splits during the winter scattering some seed while others remain attatched to the two halves. The split pods later act as wings to disperse the remaining seeds before the strong spring winds. The bark is dark brown and divides into strips as the tree ages. Wood is yellow in color, coarse-grained, dense, and heavy. The heartwood is very durable in conact with the soil and is widely used for fence posts.