#14
Accession Number: 0014-0000
Common Name: Thornless Honey Locust
Latin Name: Gleditsia triacanthos f. inermis
Family: Fabaceae (Legume Family)
Native Range: United States
Height: 30–70 feet
Spread: 25–40 feet
Bloom Time: May to June
Bloom Description: Greenish yellow to greenish white
USDA Hardiness Zone: 3
Light Preference: Full sun
Water Needs: Medium
Notes: Works well as a street tree; fruit is showy; tolerates deer, drought, clay soil, air pollution
Description: While the trunks and branches of Honey Locust often sport thorns up to 3” long, forma inermis is a naturally occurring thornless variety. Inconspicuous, greenish flowers appear in late spring, followed by long, purplish-brown seedpods that look like flat, twisted bean pods containing numerous flat, round seeds. Leaves turn bright yellow in the fall. Seeds are inedible but should be avoided anyway, as the tree is easily confused with a toxic look-alike, Black Locust (Robinia pseudoacacia).
