Wasowski, Sally and Andy
Gleditsia triacanthos L.
Honey locust, Common Honey-locust, Honey-locust, Thornless common honey-locust, Honey shucks
Fabaceae (Pea Family)
The honey-locust is a 30-75 ft.
tree with a comparable spread and a delicate and sophisticated silhouette. Feathery, yellow-green, pinnately
compound leaves provide filtered shade. Fall color is yellow. Greenish flowers are not conspicuous, but the twisted seed pods change from red-green to maroon-brown as they mature. Pods 30-45 cm long, curled, persist into winter. Most wild trees are not thornless; the long, needle-sharp thorns are extremely vicious and not suitable for a domestic landscape.
Livestock and wildlife consume the honeylike, sweet pulp of the pods. Honey Locust is easily recognized by the large, branched spines on the trunk; thornless forms, however, are common in cultivation and are sometimes found wild. The spines have been used as pins. This hardy species is popular for shade, hedges, and attracting wildlife.
Image Gallery:
4 photo(s) available
Plant Characteristics
Duration: Perennial Habit: Tree Breeding System: Flowers
Unisexual ,
Monoecious Leaf: Green
Autumn Foliage: yes
Flower:
Fruit: Brown
Size Class: 72-100 ft.
Bloom Information
Bloom Color: Yellow
Bloom Time: May , Jun
Distribution
USA: AL , AR , CT , DE , FL , GA , IL , IN , IA , KS , KY , LA , ME , MD , MA , MI , MN , MS , MO , NE , NV , NH , NJ , NM , NY , NC , ND , OH , OK , PA , RI , SC , SD , TN , TX , UT , VT , VA , WV , WI , WY , DC
Canada: ON Native Distribution: E. TX to e. SD, e. to MS & OH
Native Habitat: Moist woods; bottomlands; stream banks; drier, upland sites
USDA Native Status: L48(N), CAN(N) Growing Conditions
Water Use: Medium
Light Requirement: Part Shade
Soil Moisture: Moist
Soil pH: Circumneutral (pH 6.8-7.2)
CaCO3 Tolerance: Medium
Cold Tolerant: yes
Heat Tolerant: yes
Soil Description: Moist, deep, well-drained soil. Medium Loam, Clay Loam, Clay
Conditions Comments: Honey locust is fast-growing and long-lived. It suffers from mites, Mimosa webworm invaders, a number of cankers, and other pests. Exhibits salt-, drought-, heat-, high pH-, and salt-tolerance. Its filtered shade makes underplanting easy. This
tree has the ability to spread quickly and can become a
weed problem in some pasture areas. Mowing or cutting increases sprouts.
Benefit
Use Ornamental: Attractive, Shade
tree Use Wildlife: Cover, Nesting site, Browse, Fruit-mammals, Nectar-butterflies, Nectar-bees.
Use Food: Southeastern indigenous people dried and ground the pulp from the pods and used it as a sweetener.
Warning: Plant has thorns or prickles.
Attracts: Butterflies
Larval Host: Silver-spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus).
Butterflies and Moths of North America (BAMONA)
Gleditsia triacanthos is a larval host and/or nectar source for:
Last Update: 2013-04-18
