Thornless Honeylocust Skyline
Gleditsia triacanthos inermis 'Skyline'
A fast-growing shade tree prized for its graceful, open canopy and delicate compound leaves that cast dappled shade perfect for underplanting. The bright golden-yellow fall color and tolerance to urban conditions make Skyline honeylocust a top choice for street trees and large residential landscapes.
Harvest
N/Ad
Days to harvest
Sun
Full sun
Zones
3–8
USDA hardiness
Height
60-80 feet
Planting Timeline
Showing dates for Thornless Honeylocust Skyline in USDA Zone 7
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Thornless Honeylocust Skyline · Zones 3–8
Growing Details
Zone-by-Zone Planting Calendar
Complete Growing Guide
Soil: Clay, High Organic Matter, Loam (Silt). Soil pH: Acid (<6.0), Alkaline (>8.0), Neutral (6.0-8.0). Drainage: Good Drainage, Moist. Height: 60 ft. 0 in. - 80 ft. 0 in.. Spread: 60 ft. 0 in. - 80 ft. 0 in.. Spacing: more than 60 feet. Growth rate: Rapid. Maintenance: Gleditsia triacanthos var inermisThornless variety and source of all species cultivars. 'Harve’Medium to large, thornless and seedless, winter hardy. 'Impcole'AKA IMPERIAL, thornless, nearly seedless, rounded compact form 30' to 40' tall. 'Skyline'Pyramidal growth with a central leader, thornless and nearly seedless, grows to 40' to 45' tall. 'Sunburst'Yellow leaves, fruitless and thornless var. inermis No thorns, Gleditsia triacanthos var inermis, 'Harve’, 'Impcole', 'Skyline', 'Sunburst', var. inermis. Propagation: Seed, Stem Cutting. Regions: Coastal, Piedmont.
Harvesting
Female flowers are replaced by reddish-brown, twisted, flat bean pods 12 to 18 inches long containing oval seeds appear in the summer and can remain on the tree through the winter. Seed pods twist into corkscrew shapes and can be messy to maintain once they fall off the tree. The pods turn black when ripe and contain a sweet-tasting sticky substance that gives Honeylocust its common name.
Color: Brown/Copper, Red/Burgundy. Type: Legume. Length: > 3 inches.
Garden value: Showy
Harvest time: Fall, Winter
Bloom time: Spring
Edibility: The pulp inside the seed pod is edible, raw or cooked, but mostly consumed by livestock and wildlife.
History & Origin
Origin: Central and Eastern North America, NC to Mexico
Advantages
- +Disease resistance: Black Walnut, Deer, Drought, Pollution
- +Attracts: Bees, Butterflies, Moths, Small Mammals
- +Wildlife value: Bean pods are eaten by white-tailed deer, squirrels, rabbits, hogs, opossums, and raccoons, deer browse young shoots in spring and bark of young trees in the winter. Butterflies, bees, and moths nectar at the flowers. It is the larval host plant for the Silver-spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus).
- +Edible: The pulp inside the seed pod is edible, raw or cooked, but mostly consumed by livestock and wildlife.
- +Fast-growing
- +Low maintenance
Companion Plants
Plant Together
Hostas
Thrives in the filtered shade under honeylocust canopy, creates attractive understory planting
Daylilies
Tolerates light shade and competes well with tree roots, provides summer color
Astilbe
Enjoys partial shade created by tree canopy, adds texture and spring blooms
Coral Bells
Shallow root system doesn't compete with tree, tolerates filtered light conditions
Ferns
Natural woodland companion that thrives in the dappled shade of honeylocust
Pachysandra
Excellent groundcover that suppresses weeds and tolerates root competition
Spring Bulbs
Bloom before tree leafs out, then go dormant as shade increases
Serviceberry
Compatible native understory tree that provides wildlife food and spring flowers
Keep Apart
Black Walnut
Produces juglone toxin that can stunt or kill honeylocust and most other plants
Large Pine Trees
Creates too much shade and acidifies soil, conflicting with honeylocust's sun requirements
Shallow-rooted Vegetables
Cannot compete with honeylocust's extensive shallow root system for water and nutrients
Pests & Disease Resistance
Resistance
Excellent disease resistance and urban pollution tolerance
Common Pests
Honeylocust plant bug, spider mites, gall midge
Diseases
Canker (rare), leaf spot (minor), generally very healthy