Thorny Honeylocust Trunk
Gleditsia triacanthos var. inermis
Thornless Honeylocust
Maturing quickly to 50-75’X40’ with a round canopy it prefers medium soil moisture. A very common street and yard tree as it is drought tolerant and does well with pollution and compacted soils. A very hard wood. Considered a messy tree by many it is ideal for parking lot medians as it handles heat and radiant heat very well. This variety is recommended over its parent as the parent tree has abundant long and nasty thorns as well as messy, large and leathery seed pods.
Must be pruned to a single stem so as to avoid multi trunks and branch spacing needs to be established otherwise the tree will suffer breakage as it matures. (The ’Skyline’ cultivar is an exception) Surface roots are common and can be a problem if damaged from lawnmowers or root cutting for sidewalk or curb repairs.
Canker causing fungi can be a serious problem but typically only attack stressed trees. Watering and fertilizing is helpful as a preventative measure. Watering should not be frequent and light as it promotes thyronectria, (a canker fungi). Some leaf fungi are common but hardly a problem needing control.
Borers can be a serious problem but typically only effect stressed trees.
Honeylocust Plant Bug is a very common problem which should be treated if occurring more than 1 year in a row.
Honeylocust Podgall Midge is also a semi-serious issue if persisting more than one season and should be treated as it inhibits leaf development during the spring. They are often found along with plant bug, which usually feasts faster and more furious, resulting in a suppression of Podgall Midge populations.
There are a variety of Aphids that attack the leaves of Honeylocusts which should be controlled.
Spider Mites will attack the leaves turning them golden in the heat of the summer and should be controlled.
Leaf Miners are a problem but uncommon in Colorado.
Imidicloprid (Merit) treatments that are used to control several of the leaf eaters mentioned above often brings on more severe late summer attacks of the honeylocust spider mite. Trees should be monitored for this in August.
Honeylocust plant bug damage (Click To Enlarge)
Plant Bug Distorted Leaf Damage (Click To Enlarge) text text text text text
It is itself a cultivar of the thorny variety of Honeylocust. There a few other varieties available. In particular the Sunburst Honeylocust is very popular.
This tree was not a popular selection because of its numerous,needle sharp and massive thorns that defended it against casual climbing or cutting. Then, at the beginning of the 1900's, while walking among the suburban woodlands of New York City, a man discovered and propagated the natural thornless hybrid that is so widely planted today, Native Americans used the seed pulp for sweet foods. It can also be fermented for making beer. The wood is very hard and attractive. Locally it is salvaged and used in furniture. It can also be used outdoors as it is rot resistant.