Gleditsia seed Honey Locust

LATIN NAME: Gleditsia triacanthos

COMMON NAME: Honey Locust, Thorny Locust, Thorny Honeylocust

The honey locust is a tough and adaptable tree of the American river valleys, and it has made itself at home across much of the continent. It grows as a large, deciduous tree, reaching up to thirty metres, with a broad, open crown of finely divided, fern-like leaves and, in late spring, inconspicuous, greenish flowers, followed by long, twisted, dark brown pods, which are sweet and were once a source of food, while the trunk and branches often bear the long, branched thorns that give it the name thorny locust. It is a native of central North America, where it is mostly found in the moist soil of river valleys, and it is highly adaptable, so it has been widely planted and has become a common tree across the region.

The honey locust belongs to the pea family, Fabaceae, and it is a deciduous tree native to central North America, where it is mostly found in the moist soil of river valleys. Honey locust trees are highly adaptable to different environments, and the species has been widely planted.

Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology

The honey locust has a genuine and growing place in both ecological and horticultural research. It has been studied in ecology, since it is a native of the river valleys of central North America and it has become highly adaptable and widely spread, and researchers have examined its growth, its spread and its role in the landscape, while its thorns and its pods have been studied as part of its biology. The tree has also been studied in horticulture and in the research on urban trees, since it is widely planted along streets and in parks, prized for its fine, fern-like foliage, its tough adaptability and the dappled shade it gives, and a number of thornless and podless cultivars have been selected for garden and street use. The species has also been studied for its traditional uses, since its sweet pods were once a source of food. For a tree of such toughness and such wide planting, the honey locust has a rich and growing record of research.

Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications

Ecologically, the honey locust is a generous tree of the river valley. Its flowers feed bees and other insects, its long pods feed wildlife, and its open, leafy crown gives light shade and shelter, while it is a tough and adaptable member of the American landscape.

Its economic value is real. It is widely planted as a street and park tree, prized for its fine foliage and its toughness, and its hard, durable wood is used for fence posts and other work, while the sweet pods were once used as food and the tree has also been used as a windbreak and for the improvement of the land. For a grower, the honey locust is a fast and dependable tree, and for a gardener it brings fine, fern-like foliage and light shade. The seeds are easy — soak them overnight in warm water, then sow them in a pot of moist, free-draining compost, keep them lightly watered in a sunny spot, and they’ll sprout within a couple of weeks, growing on quickly into a tough, adaptable tree.

USE: Medicine, food, health products, cosmetics and cleaning products