Scientific Name:
Gleditsia triacanthos
f.
inermis
Pronunciation:
gluh-DIT-see-uh try-uh-KAN-thos forma in-ER-mis
Common Name:
thornless honey locust
Family Name:
Fabaceae
Plant Type:
Tree - deciduous
Key ID Features:
Leaves alternate, pinnately compound leaves 15-20cm long, most with 19-23 small leaflets. mid-blade these can reach 3-4cm long x 8-1.3mm wide, some leaves bipinnately compound with leaflets 5-7cm long and pinnae up to 15mm long x 5mm wide. Winter ID: crown open; bark mottled gray; branches shiny, zigzag with swollen nodes (some with short spurs); buds very small, clustered of about 5 per node, no terminal bud; leaf scars gnarled; legumes 15-20(-40)cm long x 3cm wide, flattened, twisted, dark brown (absent on some cultivars).
Habit:
Irregular, Open, Spreading, Twiggy
Form:
Irregular, Oval - vertical
Texture:
Fine
Mature Height:
15 - 22m
Mature Spread:
10 - 15m
Growth Rate:
Fast
Origin:
Canada - central, Canada - eastern, U.S. - central, U.S. - northeast
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 4: (-34 to -29 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun
Soil/Growing Medium:
Humus rich, Well-drained
Landscape Uses:
Fall interest, Specimen plant
Additional Info:
Google. Cultivars shown or on campus may include G. 'Sunburst' (bright green foliage, non fruiting), G. 'Skyline' (mid-green foliage). Cultivars with dark red foliage also exist such as G. 'Ruby Lace'.
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Compound
Arrangement:
Alternate
Texture/Venation:
Soft flexible
Surfaces:
Compound Leaf:
Even-pinnate
Colour in Summer:
Green, Green-yellow, Dark-red
Colour in Fall:
Yellow
Shapes:
Lanceolate
Margins:
Crenate, Serrulate
Inflorescence Type:
Raceme
Flower Morphology:
Monoecious plant
Number Of Petals:
5
Corolla Shape:
Rotate/stellate
Ovary Position:
Superior
Colour (petals):
Not showy, White, Green
Flower Scent:
Sweet
Flower Time at Peak:
May, Jun
Additional Info:
Polygamodioecious (has bisexual and male flowers on some plants, and bisexual and female flowers on others); most with 5 separate petals; radially symmetrical (uncommon in the Fabaceae).
Fruit Type:
Legume
Fruit Colour:
Brown
Fruiting Time:
Sep, Oct
Additional Info:
Showy, Persistent
Bark Morphology:
Lightly fissured
Bark or Stem Colour:
Grey
Leaf Bud Type:
Accessory (collateral), Rounded or globular
Leaf Scar Shape:
Three-lobed
Organ Modifications:
Ectomycorrhizae, Root nodules (N-fixing)
Propagation:
Seed, Grafting
Maintenance:
Low
Pest Susceptibility:
Canker or sap rot, Diptera - true flies, Fungal leaf spot, Galls, Heart rot, Heteroptera - true bugs, Leafhopper or spittlebug, Mildew, Mites, Rust, Scale insects (Deer resistant, Drought tolerant)
Specific Pests:
Course(s):
- AARB 1012
- CLT Training
- HORT 1155
- Level 3 Apprenticeship
Location(s):
- (BCE) Boulevard (Circular) Eastend
- (TFL) Turf Field Lab
- (TFLW) Turf Field Lab West