The Plant List

Gleditsia triacanthos

Common: Honey locust
Family: Fabaceae (Leguminosae)
Sunset Zone: 1-16, 18-20
Light: Full sun
Soil: Tolerant of acid or alkaline conditions
Water: Water every week to 10 days in warm season to speed growth; soak root zone every month or two once mature.

Good lawn tree. Not good in narrow area between curb and sidewalk; roots on old plants will heave paving. Don't plant if you need dense shade over long season.

Can be used as soil enricher and stabilizer.

Upright trunk, spreading, arching branches. Fast growing to 35-70 ft. Leaves divided into many oval, 3/4 to 1-1.2 in. long leaflets.

Late to leaf out; leaves turn yellow and drop early in fall. Inconspicuous flowers followed by broad, 1 to 1-1/2 ft.-long leathery pods filled with sweetish pulp and roundish, hard seeds.

Trunks and branches are formidably thorny, and pods make a mess. Pod gall midge deforms leaves in some areas; no effective control.