Common Name: Thornless Honey Locust
Scientific Name: Gleditsia triacanthos f. inermis
Family: Fabaceae
Origin: Eastern, Central North America
Not to be confused with Gleditsia triacanthos, the Honey Locust with thorns, this variety lacks those sharp dangerous thorns. These trees are medium to large and reach heights of 60-80 feet high. The leaves of the tree are dark green and pinnately to bi-pinnately compound with ovate leaflets that range from around ½ -1 ½ inches long. Greenish-yellow to greenish-white flowers appear in the late spring as racemes, which is an arrangement of clusters of flowers that radiate from one stalk at equal distances. The word ‘Honey’ in the Common Name derives from the sweet substance found in its fruits, which are large pods.