honeylocust (Gleditsia triacanthos)

Second place (tied) honeylocust in Pueblo at City Park.

Species info:

Leaves: Alternate, pinnately compound with 8–14 leaflets; each leaflet ½–1 inch long, oval, and smooth-edged. Bright green in summer, turning clear yellow to yellow-green in fall. Leaves fall early.

Leaflets: 8–14 per compound leaf; occasionally bipinnate on older shoots.

Leaf Surface: Smooth, glossy green above, lighter beneath.

Bark: Grayish-brown with long, narrow ridges and deep furrows on older trees.

Flowers: Small, greenish-yellow, fragrant but subtle; appear in clusters between May and June.

Fruit: (On thornless types, typically absent.) When present, long, twisted seed pods up to 12–18 inches; reddish-brown when mature.

Botanical: Gleditsia triacanthos

Family: Fabaceae

Mature Height: 30–70 feet

Canopy Spread: Comparable to height; open, spreading crown

Foliage Type: Deciduous

Tree Shape: Vase-shaped with open canopy; allows filtered light beneath

Growth Rate: Fast

Fruit: Most varieties produce pods that can be messy, but are edible when immature

Fall Color: Yellow to yellow-green

Water Use: Low to moderate; highly drought-tolerant once established

Hardiness: Zones 4–9

Soil Preference: Adaptable; tolerates drought, high pH, salt, and compacted soils

Wildlife Value: Provides light shade for turf; pods (if present) eaten by wildlife

Pests/Pathogens: Susceptible to canker and root collar rot in Colorado; also minor issues with mimosa webworm or honeylocust plant bug

Planting Recommendations: Recommended for most sites along the Front Range and the Western Slope; avoid Sunburst as it is overplanted. Wrap young trees in winter to prevent sunscald.

Information Sources:

• Front Range Tree Recommendation List

• Michael Dirr, Manual of Woody Landscape Plants (University of Georgia, 1990)

• Colorado State University Extension, "Honeylocust Diseases," 2014.