Common Thornless Honeylocust
Arbor Walk #28, Treekeeper ID #1610
This is a native plant, but if found in nature, its bark would likely be covered in long, sharp thorns. Arborists tend to plant this natural, thornless variant of the tree to allow people to see its beauty without obtaining injuries.
While the spring-time flowers of the Thornless Honeylocust are not easily seen, the 8” long fruit are highly visible. Being part of the bean family (Fabaceae), this tree produces legumes. The fruit contain seeds and a sticky-sweet substance that resembles honey in texture. Another notable feature of the Honeylocust is its distinct bark. Unlike most trees, this bark consists of very long, defined strips, as if they could be easily peeled off.
More information on the Common Thornless Honeylocusts in our Arboretum here!
| Common Name | Common Thornless Honeylocust |
|---|---|
| Latin Name | Gleditsia triacanthos f. inermis |
| Indigenous Name(s) | Miami: akaawinšaahkwa |
| Cultivar/Variety | |
| Commercial Name |
Global Distribution
GPS Coordinates
N/A
Percent Concrete
N/A
Distance to Buildings
| Year | Close Building #1 | Close Building #2 | Close Building #3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Olin Library, 31.12 m | Graham Chapel, 13.11 m | Busch Laboratory, 63.03 m |
Distance to Other Species
| Year | Close Species #1 | Close Species # 2 | Close Species # 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Callery Pear, 4.84 m | Callery Pear, 4.87 m | Callery Pear, 10.29 m |
Standard Measurements
| Year | Height (m) | DBH (cm) | Crown Diameter N-S (m) | Crown Diameter E-W (m) | Average Crown Diameter (m) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 18.32 | 62.42 | 15.82 | 15.00 | 15.41 |
| 2023 | 20.78 | 66.5 | 17.55 | 18.11 | 17.83 |
Nests and Pests
| Year | Description |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 1 squirrel nest Potential clusters of Witches’ Broom Base of trunk completely covered in lichen and moss |
eaf Identification
The Common Thornless Honeylocust has even-pinnately compound leaves with 15 to 30 lanceolate leaflets. The leaflets are usually 1/2″ to 2″ long. The margins are crenated to serrated, and the venation is pinnate. They are a bright green and turn yellowish-gold in the fall. The leaves are sometimes bipinnately compound, but this form is much more common in younger trees.
Twig and Bud Identification
The twigs of the Common Thornless Honeylocust typically zig zag, are reddish- or grayish-brown, and have lighter lenticels. Even though this is a thornless variety, sometimes the twigs will develop thorns. The lateral buds are small and sunken. It has no true terminal bud.
Bark Identification
The Common Thornless Honeylocust has dark gray bark with very long, defined plates. Young trees will have smooth bark with numerous lenticels (pores).
Fruit Identification
The fruit of the Common Thornless Honeylocust are purplish-brown seed pods. They are typically 6″ to 8″ long, flat, and coiled.
Flower Identification
The flowers of the Common Thornless Honeylocust are greenish-yellow and hang in 2″ to 3″ long clusters. They are racemes, or flowers on tiny pedicels (stalks) off a main upright inflorescence (flowering stem).
‘Skycole’ Identification
This is a male cultivar that has a more pyramidal shape. Since it is male, it will never produce fruit.
