Honey Locust (Gleditsia triancanthos) - Zone 4

It adapts to many types of soil, as long as the soil is well drained. Full sun and deep soil is preferable for growth and fruit production. It is ideal for shelterbelts, permaculture orchards or urban plantings. Preferring neutral soils (6-8pH), it can also tolerate alkaline soils (8+pH). It attracts pollinators, birds and small rodents. The tree is tolerant to juglone and casts only partial shade under its leaves.

The uses of its hard, rot-resistant wood are varied. It can be used as a fence post, carpentry, ground garden box, furniture, storage pallets, tool handles, biomass and bows (archery).

The tree can reach 10 to 25m in height and a width of 10 to 16m without competition.

Self fertile. Ideal fruiting is achieved by planting at least two trees. The yellow flowers give off a pleasant aroma during late spring and early summer. The fruits, long 7" pods, were once opened and the pulp was scraped and dried by the First Nations to make a dietary sugar used occasionally in their diet.

Seeds from the Montérégie region. The mother trees were selected for their absence of thorns.