Honey Locust (Gleditsia triacanthos)
Family : Fabaceace
Zone: 3 - 8
Zone: 3 - 8
Native tree of central and eastern United States and common in southern states from Georgia to Texas. Medium sized tree growing up to 60 ft tall at maturity. Tolerant of poor soils, air pollution, heat and drought. Leaves are doubly compound, reaching 2 ft in length with up to 30 leaflets. Seed pods are reddish brown and contain a sweet substance between the seeds tasting like a mixture of honey and castor oil! Native growing trees often are covered with large, branched, sharp thorns on the trunk and branches. Most trees of this species planted in Minnesota are thorn-less and seedless cultivars.