7. Flatbush Avenue Entrace Area

Black Locust (Robinia pseudoacacia)

Abraham Lincoln owed his presidency in part to the black locust. At the 1860 Illinois State Republican Convention, a supporter presented two black locust fence rails that Lincoln and he had made. Lincoln was compelled to tell the curious audience about his youth spent splitting rails from this hard, rot-resistant wood. Lincoln was lauded as a true frontiersman, which helped propel him to the White House.

Notable Neighbors:

• 7A. Empress tree (Paulownia tomentosa)
• 7B. Black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia)
• 7C. Lavalle's cork tree (Phellodendron lavallei)
• 7D. Pin oak grove (Quercus palustris)