FNPS Plant Database

Gleditsia triacanthos

honey locust
  • Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS
  • Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS

Nomenclature

Common Name:

honey locust

Synonym(s):

Genus species:

Gleditsia triacanthos

Family:

Fabaceae (Leguminosae)

Plant Specifics

Form:

tree

Size:

50 to 70 ft

Life Span:

Long-lived perennial

Flower Color:

yellow

Fruit Color:

brown

Phenology:

deciduous

Noted For:

Thorns

Landscaping

Recommended Uses:

Specimen tree. To avoid insect issues, best not to plant in large numbers.

Considerations:

Very sharp thorns. Tree is short-lived in the southern parts of its range (includes Florida).

Availability:

Big Box Stores, Native Nurseries

Propagation:

Root cuttings. Also coppices readily. Seeds require cold treatment and scarification.

Light:

Full Sun, Part Sun

Moisture Tolerance:

Always Flooded---------------------------------Extremely Dry

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Usually moist, occasional inundation -to- Not wet but not extremely dry

Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:

Unknown

Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:

Moderate. Tolerant of salty wind and may get some salt spray.

Soil or Other Substrate:

Sand, Clay, Loam

Soil pH:

Slightly acidic to somewhat calcareous.

Suitable to Grow In:

8A,8B

USDA zones are based on the average annual extreme minimum winter temperature.

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Ecology

Wildlife:

Pollinators, Caterpillars, Birds, Mammals

Larval host for Epargyreus clarus  (Silver-Spotted Skipper) and several moths including Catocala innubens  (The Betrothed),  Catocala minuta  (Little Underwing), and Spiloloma lunilinea  (Moon-Lined Moth). 





Pollinated primarily by small bees and flies.





Other insect feeders include the treehoppers, leafhoppers, some bugs, and some beetles. 

The seed pods have edible sweet pulp and are eaten by deer, opossums, squirrels, crows, starlings, and  quail. 

Native Habitats:

Upper portions of riverine floodplains, fertile uplands, stream banks. Planted in upland areas.

Natural Range in Florida:

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Comments:

Ethnobotany:

Wood is hard and rot resistant. Used for fence posts.

General Comments:

Very thorny. In the northern parts of its range, a thornless cultivar is planted.

Citations:

Burns, Russell M., and Barbara H. Honkala [Technical coordinators]. (1990). Silvics of North America: Volume 2. Hardwoods. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Forest Service, Agriculture Handbook 654. ( https://www.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/pubs/1548 ). Accessed 2025.


Hilty, John. (2002-2018). Trees, Shrubs, and Woody Vines of Illinois: Honey Locust. ( https://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/trees/plants/honey_locust.html ). Accessed 2026.


Minno, Marc and Maria Minno. (1999). Florida Butterfly Gardening: A Complete Guide to Attracting, Identifying, and Enjoying Butterflies. University Press of Florida, Gainesville.


Osorio, Rufino. (2001). A Gardener's Guide to Florida's Native Plants. University Press of Florida, Gainesville.


University of Tennessee Extension Service. (2010). Desired pH Range and salt tolerance of common nursery plants. ( https://plantsciences.tennessee.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/25/2021/10/Desired-pH-Range-List.pdf ). Accessed 2025. University of Tennessee Extension, Knoxville.


Wunderlin, R. P., B. F. Hansen, A. R. Franck, and F. B. Essig. (1999+). Atlas of Florida Plants. ( https://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/ ). [S. M. Landry and K. N. Campbell (application development), USF Water Institute.] Institute for Systematic Botany, University of South Florida, Tampa.

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