Gleditsia spp.
honey locusts
Overview
Gleditsia is a genus of about 12 species of deciduous trees in the legume family, Fabaceae, native to North America, eastern and central Asia, and parts of South America. Trees reach 30 to 100 feet (9 to 30 m) tall with broad, open, spreading crowns. The leaves are pinnately or bipinnately compound, divided into many small leaflets that cast light, filtered shade and turn yellow before dropping in autumn. Trunks and branches of most species bear stout branched thorns, sometimes several inches long, though thornless forms occur. Small greenish flowers open in early summer in narrow clusters and are followed by flattened pods 6 to 18 inches (15 to 45 cm) long that twist as they dry; in G. triacanthos the pod pulp is sweet, the source of the name honey locust. The genus grows in floodplains, woodland edges, and open ground, tolerating drought, salinity, compacted soil, and a wide pH range. A limitation is the thorns and abundant pods of the wild forms, which create litter and hazard, leading to the selection of thornless, podless cultivars for landscape use.
Native Range
Gleditsia is native to North America, eastern and central Asia, and South America. G. triacanthos is native to the central United States, while other species occur in China, Japan, the Caspian region, and Argentina, typically in moist bottomlands and open woodlands.Suggested Uses
Gleditsia is used as a shade and street tree, particularly thornless cultivars of G. triacanthos, which cast light, filtered shade over lawns, patios, and paved areas. The open canopy and tolerance of harsh sites suit urban plantings, parking islands, and reclaimed ground.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height30' - 100'
Width/Spread25' - 70'
Bloom Information
Gleditsia flowers in late spring to early summer, roughly May and June. The small greenish-yellow flowers are borne in slender clusters and are fragrant in several species. Pods develop over summer and ripen brown to mahogany by autumn, persisting on the tree into winter.
Detailed Descriptions
Foliage Description
greenGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 6-12 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight