John the Baptist survived in the Wilderness of Judah by eating locusts and honey. These locusts could have been large orthopteran insects, such as grasshoppers. However, they were more likely fruits of locust trees, such as carob, Ceratonia siliqua. Both possibilities are both nutritious and kosher. The insects got their name from resemblance to the fruit.

That was almost two millennia ago, and more than seven thousand miles away. Carob is much more popular than grasshoppers here and now. Unfortunately though, within home gardens, the fruit is more of a mess than an asset. Male trees are not messy like females, but produce objectionable floral fragrance. Monoecious trees are both messy and stinky.

Mature trees develop broad canopies that are generally less than thirty feet high. Trunks and main limbs eventually become sculpturally gnarly. Densely evergreen foliage is very shady. Pinnately compound leaves are olive drab, glossy and four to seven inches long. Female orchard cultivars should be fruitless without a pollinator, but are rarely available. Besides, it is impossible to know if a male tree is within pollination range.