Need name- tree has giant thorns all over, grows very fast & small bushes pop up at root system. E TX area?

Question

The root system is soft and the smaller plants can easily be pulled but the actual tree wood is hard as steel. It is not an Iron tree or Bodarc tree. This has dark green leaves that look like a fern leaf, and from far away the bark color looks black. No matter what we do new growth comes up along the root system. This grows very fast and is taking over our property. We live north of Houston, TX and have black land soil. When stuck with the thorn, the skin swells up and it leaves a huge painful knot. Can anyone tell me what it is or how to kill it. We were told it may be a black secadia (not sure on the correct spelling but that is how it sounds).

Answer 1

This sounds to me like a honey locust, but I'm not that familiar with the species from your area - it is native to Texas, though.  You can compare your tree to it here:  http://plants.usda.gov/java/nameSearch?k...

ADDITION:  After doing a search in the USDA plant database, I think what you have might be an acacia (this also fits better with your "secadia" name).  It's doubtful that you would be seeing the black or blackwood acacia, as this is native to California, and is thornless: http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symb... and the leaves are distinctly un-fernlike:  http://www.smgrowers.com/imagedb/Acacia_...

There are other species of acacia, though, that fit the description better:  

http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symb...

http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symb...

http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symb...

and one that goes by the name of catclaw acacia:  http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plant... , http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symb...

The name black acacia is sometimes applied to the black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) as well, and these have paired spines:  http://plants.usda.gov/java/nameSearch?k... , leaf:  http://www.troop17.com/Tree_Identificati...

Answer 2

I agree with the answer before me, it sounds like a honey locust tree. I am not super sure, about the Texas variety, but in Kansas thats what the are like.