Honey Locust
Gleditsia triacanthos var. inermis
This fast-growing native shade tree is beloved by homeowners for its delicate, fern-like foliage that creates dappled shade perfect for growing grass underneath. The thornless variety produces minimal seed pods and offers brilliant golden-yellow fall color, making it one of the most practical and beautiful choices for suburban landscapes.
Harvest
N/Ad
Days to harvest
Sun
Full sun
Zones
3–8
USDA hardiness
Height
60-80 feet
Planting Timeline
Showing dates for Honey Locust in USDA Zone 7
All Zone 7 shade-tree →Zone Map
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Honey Locust · 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 provided by honey locust canopy
Wild Ginger
Tolerates shade and helps suppress weeds under the tree
Astilbe
Benefits from dappled shade and moisture retention under canopy
Ferns
Natural woodland companions that thrive in filtered light
Coral Bells
Shade-tolerant perennial that adds color to understory plantings
Black-eyed Susan
Both native plants that support local wildlife and pollinators
Wild Columbine
Native woodland plant that complements honey locust ecosystem
Virginia Bluebells
Spring ephemeral that blooms before full canopy development
Keep Apart
Black Walnut
Produces juglone which can inhibit honey locust growth and health
Kentucky Coffee Tree
Competes for similar resources and may cause overcrowding of large trees
Tomatoes
May be affected by honey locust's allelopathic compounds in root zone
Pests & Disease Resistance
Resistance
Very disease resistant
Common Pests
Honey locust plant bug, spider mites, scale
Diseases
Canker, leaf spot (rarely serious)