Gleditsia triacanthos L.

Honey Locust; Sweet Locust

Tree

Perennial

Vascular

Honey Locust is a native deciduous tree in the Bean family (Fabaceae). It can be found throughout Alabama. Honey Locust occurs in mesic hardwood forests, along streams and rivers, along fence lines and forest edges, and in prairie woods. It is a medium sized tree reaching heights of 50-90 feet. The truck has gray bark with long, narrow fissures and curling plates. It is often armed with stout, solitary or 3-branched, woody spines. Young twigs have smooth reddish-brown bark. Leaves are alternate, petiolate, and pinnately to bi-pinnately compound. The leaflets are ovate to elliptical in outline, pubescent along the veins on the lower side, and with undulate to minutely toothed margins. The leaves turn yellow before falling in the autumn. Honey Locust is dioecious, with separate male and female plants, though occasionally one individual will produce both male and female flowers. The strongly scented flowers are greenish-yellow and produced in racemes from the axils of the leaves. The fruit is a large, black, curved legume. The think pulp surrounding the seed is sweet and eaten by a variety of animals, including humans. Thornless varieties are available and are commonly planted as a small street tree or as a fast-growing shade tree in new residential developments. It is tolerant of drought and poor soils, and prefers full sun.—A. Diamond.

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Native FAC- (NWPL)

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