Gleditsia triacanthos
(Honey Locust)
Gleditsia triacanthos is a deciduous, fast growing tree. It has an open habit, casting only a light shade underneath its canopy. Tolerance of pollution makes it an ideal tree for urban planting.
Thornless varieties such as Sunburst and Inermis are available though they will produce few, if any, seed pods. Sunburst makes a good substitute for Robinia pseudoacacia Frisia which can be brittle.
In the past, the pulp for the seed pods has been used to brew beer and the thorns used for nails. There is a small market for Honey Locust furniture as it is a high quality wood which polishes well.
Plant Profile
Name: Gleditsia triacanthos
Common Name: Honey Locust
Family: Caesalpiniaceae
Height: up to 20m depending on variety
Shape: Medium-large oval shaped, open tree
Demands: Sun - very light shade, well drained soils
Flowers: Inconspicuous green - white flowers
Fruit: Long, flat, slightly twisted seed pods
Bark: Grey with elongated 'plates'. Stems and trunk can have large, branched thorns. Thornless varieties are available
Autumn Colour: Golden Yellow
Tree of the Month - Gleditsia triacanthos
Gleditsia triacanthos 35-40 girth Standard
'Sunburst' 16-18cm Standard
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| 30-35cm field grown standard |
Gleditsia 'Sunburst' multistem |
Gelditsia 'Inermis' 4.5-5.0m multistem |
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| G. triacanthos - Thorns | Gleditsia seed pods | Gleditsia seed pods |
| Variety | Foliage Colour | Thorns & Seed Pods |
Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Triacanthos | Green | Yes | Large tree with loose, open crown |
| Inermis | Green | No | Large, thornless tree with open crown |
| Sunburst | Bright yellow in spring pale green in summer | No | Smaller variety with yellow foliage in spring. |
| Skyline | Green | No | Upright tree ideal for street planting. |
The name honey locust comes from the sweet pulp inside the seed pods which was eaten by Native Americans .
