thornless honeylocust

Common Name: 
thornless honeylocust
Scientific Name Genus: 
Gleditsia
Family Name: 
Fabaceae
Identification Notes
Best grown in well-drained soil in full sun. Tolerance of soil conditions, wind, heat, drought, and deer. Forma inermis is a naturally occurring thornless variety. Cutlvars of forma inermis are what are available in trade.
Native Habitat
Native from the midwest to eastern United States
Growth Habit
Honeylocus have a rounded to spreading form growing 30-70' tall and 25-40' wide (can grow taller).
Gleditsia tricanthos f. inermis
Leaves
Leaves are bipinnately compound. The compound leaf is 4-8" long with the elliptic leaflets growing up to 1". Fall color is bright yellow.
Part of the bipinnatley compound leaf showing leaflets.
Honeylocust fall color
Bark and Stems
Forma inermis is the thornless variety. The species has thorns along the trunk and branches than can be up to 3" long.
Honeylocust bark
Flowers
Flowers are inconspicuous greenish white to greenish yellow in racemes. Not ornamental.
Fruit
Flattened , twisted, dark purple brown seedpods can grow up to 18". Many cultivars do not have seedpods.
Bloom Time
Spring
Common Problems
Disease problems can include leaf spot, canker, witches broom, powdery mildew and rust. Insect problems include borers, webworms, bagworms, leafhoppers, and leaf miners.
Varieties or Cultivars
Impcole - Imperial - thornless and almost seedless variety. Rounded form growing 30-40 feet tall.
Skycole - Skyline - pyramidal form. Thornless and almost seedless. Grows 40-45 feel tall.
Sunburst - foliage emerges yellow in the spring and lime green foliage in summer.
Landscape Uses
Good for lawns. Popular street and parking lot tree.
Gleditsia tricanthos f. inermis fall color and form