Gleditsia triacanthos

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Honey Locust

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).
Propagation:Root cuttings. Also coppices readily. Seeds require cold treatment and scarification.
Availability:Big box stores, Native nurseries
Light: Full Sun,  Part Shade
Moisture Tolerance:
always floodedextremely dry
 (Usually moist, occasional inundation ----- to ----- Not wet but not extremely dry)
Moisture Tolerance: Usually moist, occasional inundation ----- to ----- Not wet but not extremely dry
Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water.
Salt Spray/ Salty Soil Tolerance:Moderate. Tolerant of salty wind and may get some salt spray. Exposure to salt spray would be uncommon (major storms).
Soil or other substrate:Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil pH:Slightly acidic to somewhat calcareous.

Ecology

Wildlife:
  

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

Insects:
  

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. 

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

Distribution and Planting Zones

Natural Range in Florida
USDA Zones

Suitable to grow in:
8A 8B 

USDA zones are based on minimum winter temperatures

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.