Honey locust

Gleditsia triacanthos

Large North American legume with feathery foliage, sweet edible pods, and dappled shade — popular as a street tree because grass grows beneath it.

Hardiness ratings

Honey locust hardiness across the four zone systems
SystemRatingTemperature rangeHow to read it
USDA hardiness zone Zone 3–9 −40 °C to −1.1 °C Plant tolerates down to this zone
RHS hardiness rating H7 down to −20 °C Plant needs at least this level of cold tolerance
Canadian plant hardiness zone Zone 3–9 −34 °C and warmer Plant tolerates down to this zone
Australian (ANBG) zone Zone 1–5 −15 °C to 10 °C Plant tolerates down to this zone

Growing notes

  • Choose thornless cultivars (G. triacanthos var. inermis) for garden use — wild-type plants carry serious branched thorns on trunk and branches
  • Pods are mildly sweet and were used as a food source by some Native American peoples
  • Drought tolerant once established

Categories

Related plants

Cross-check Honey locust against your zones

Reference

Honey locust on Wikipedia