Gledistia triacanthos

• BOTANICAL NAME: Gleditsia triacanthos
• COMMON NAME: Common Honeylocust
• FAMILY: Leguminosae, Fabaceae
• NATIVITY: Pennsylvania to Texas to Nebraska
• GROWTH HABIT: 30-70’ (100’); Short trunk and open spreading crown
• HARDINESS:  USDA Zone 4 to 9
• OPTIMUM GROWING CONDITIONS:  Sun with moist to dry soils, often grown in landscapes and rural settings.  Often found on stream banks.
• SUCCESSIONAL STATUS:  Seral
• FACULTATIVE STATUS:  Facultative
• LANDSCAPE VALUE:  Used to be valued as a landscape tree but overuse and disease has left this tree unimportant.
• FOLIAGE:  Alternate and pinnately or bipinnately compound.  Glossy green in the summer.  Bright yellow fall color.
• BUDS:  No terminal buds but lateral buds are small, some scaly and some naked.
• BARK:  Orangish in color and often resembles the appearance of melted wax.
• FRUIT:  Pod - reddish to black in color.  Flowers are dioecious and greenish yellow in the late spring.
• PESTS:  Very susceptible to diseases.