Practical
Plants

Gleditsia triacanthos

Honey Locust

a perennial woody deciduous member of the Gleditsia genus in the family Leguminosae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
deciduous
Woodiness
woody
Growth rate
moderate
Height
20 m
Spread
15 m
Fertility
Insects
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Insects

Uses

Toxicity

Toxicity warning. The historical record reports a hazard for this plant. Do not use it to decide which parts are safe to eat or use medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The plant contains potentially toxic compounds[10].

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - raw or cooked. It can contain up to 30% sugar[5]. Young seeds taste like raw peas[6]. Seeds are not always borne in maritime regions because the tree prefers long hot summers[2]. The oval seeds are about 8mm long[12]. They contain 10.6 - 24.1% protein, 0.8 - 4.3% fat, 84.7% carbohydrate, 21.1% fibre, 4% ash, 280mg calcium and 320mg phosphorus per 100g[9]. The seeds have been roasted and used as a coffee substitute[18]. Seedpods - the pulp is sweet and can be eaten raw or made into sugar[3][4][6]. The render young seedpods can be cooked and eaten[6]. The pulp in older pods turns bitter[12]. The seedpods are up to 40cm long and 4cm wide[12]. A sweet, pleasant tasting drink can be made from the seed pods[16]. The seed pulp has been used to make a drink[16].

Product or use
Coffee
Product or use
Drink
Product or use
Sweetener
Plant part
Seed
Plant part
Seedpod

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The pods have been made into a tea for the treatment of indigestion, measles, catarrh etc[10][16]. The juice of the pods is antiseptic[10]. The pods have been seen as a good antidote for children's complaints[16]. The alcoholic extract of the fruits of the honey locust, after elimination of tannin, considerably retarded the growth, up to 63% of Ehrlich mouse carcinoma[18]. However, the cytotoxicity of the extract was quite high and the animals, besides losing weight, showed dystrophic changes in their liver and spleen[17]. The alcoholic extract of the fruit exerted moderate oncostatic activity against sarcoma 180 and Ehrlich carcinoma at the total dose 350 mg/kg/body weight/mouse. Weight loss was considerable[18]. An infusion of the bark has been drunk and used as a wash in the treatment of dyspepsia[16]. It has also been used in the treatment of whooping cough, measles, smallpox etc[16]. The twigs and the leaves contain the alkaloids gleditschine and stenocarpine[19]. Stenocarpine has been used as a local anaesthetic whilst gleditschine causes stupor and loss of reflex activity[19]. Current research is examining the leaves as a potential source of anticancer compounds[10].

Product or use
Anaesthetic
Product or use
Antiseptic
Product or use
Cancer
Product or use
Stomachic

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Planted for land reclamation on mining waste[7]. The gum from the seeds has been suggested as an emulsifying substitute for acacia and tragacanth[18]. The heartwood contains 4 - 4.8% tannin[14]. Wood - strong, coarse-grained, elastic, very hard, very durable in contact with the soil, highly shock resistant[21][22][24][3]. It does not shrink much but splits rather easily and does not glue well[12]. It weighs 42lb per cubic foot[12]. Largely used for making fence posts and rails, wheel hubs, farm implements etc and in construction[21][22][24][3].

Product or use
Gum
Product or use
Tannin
Product or use
Wood

Ecology and functions

Ecosystem niche
Canopy

Environment

Range
Eastern N. America. Occasionally naturalized in C. and S. Europe.
Habitat
Usually growing singly, though occasionally forming almost pure woods, on the borders of streams and in rich woods, usually in moist fertile soils but sometimes on dry sterile gravelly hills[20][24].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 3+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerances
drought
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
tolerant
Salinity
tolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - pre-soak for 24 hours in warm water and then sow in spring in a greenhouse[23]. The seed should have swollen up, in which case it can be sown, if it has not swollen then soak it for another 24 hours in warm water. If this does not work then file away some of the seed coat but be careful not to damage the embryo[23]. Further soaking should then cause the seed to swell. One it has swollen, the seed should germinate within 2 - 4 weeks at 20°c. As soon as they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual deep pots and plant them out into their permanent positions in the summer. Give the plants some protection from the cold for their first few winters outdoors.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Succeeds in most soils, acid or alkaline[5][7], so long as they are well-drained[8]. Requires a sunny position[2]. Tolerates drought once established[1] and atmospheric pollution[7]. Salt tolerant[7]. The honey locust is speculated to tolerate an annual precipitation of 60 to 150cm, an annual temperature range of 10 to 21°C, and a pH in the range of 6 to 8[18]. Trees are rather tender when young, but they are hardy to about -30°c once they are established[7]. They grow best in southern Britain[2]. The honey locust is often cultivated in warm temperate zones for its edible seeds and seedpods[8], trees start to bear when about 10 years old and produce commercial crops for about 100 years[12]. Wild trees seldom live longer than 120 years[13]. Trees are shy to flower and therefore do not often produce a worthwhile crop in Britain due to our cooler summers[8]. There are some named varieties[6]. The sub-species nana produced lots of viable seed in the hot summer of 1989 at Kew[K], it also had a very good crop in 1994, 1996 and in 1999[K]. The sub-species inermis had a very good crop of pods in the autumn of 1996[K]. 'Ashworth' has pods with a very sweet pulp that has a melon-like flavour[6]. The flowers have a pleasing scent[15]. A very ornamental tree[1], the flowers are very attractive to bees[3][18]. Trees have a light canopy, they come into leaf late and lose their leaves early[2] making them an excellent canopy tree for a woodland garden. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[7]. Unlike most plants in this family, honey locusts do not fix atmospheric nitrogen[5][11].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  2. Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  3. Vines. R. A. Trees of Central Texas. University of Texas Press 1987-00-00 ISBN 0-292-78958-3

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  4. McPherson. A. and S. Wild Food Plants of Indiana. Indiana University Press 1977-00-00 ISBN 0-253-28925-4

    ↩

  5. Natural Food Institute, Wonder Crops. 1987.

    ↩1↩2↩3

  6. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

  7. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6

  8. Davis. B. Climbers and Wall Shrubs. Viking. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-670-82929-3

    ↩1↩2↩3

  9. Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc. 1985-00-00 ISBN 0-917256-20-4

    ↩

  10. Foster. S. & Duke. J. A. A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America. Houghton Mifflin Co. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0395467225

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  11. Lauriault. J. Identification Guide to the Trees of Canada Fitzhenry and Whiteside, Ontario. 1989-00-00 ISBN 0889025649

    ↩

  12. Vines. R.A. Trees of North Texas University of Texas Press. 1982-00-00 ISBN 0292780206

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6

  13. Elias. T. The Complete Trees of N. America. Field Guide and Natural History. Van Nostrand Reinhold Co. 1980-00-00 ISBN 0442238622

    ↩

  14. Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement). Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi. 1986-00-00

    ↩

  15. Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994-00-00 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8

    ↩

  16. Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-453-9

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6

  17. Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Conservatory and Indoor Plants Volumes 1 & 2 Pan Books, London. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-330-37376-5

    ↩

  18. Duke. J. Handbook of Energy Crops - 1983-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6

  19. Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984-00-00 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9

    ↩1↩2

  20. Fernald. M. L. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co. 1950-00-00

    ↩

  21. Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  22. Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974-00-00 ISBN 0094579202

    ↩1↩2

  23. Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  24. Sargent. C. S. Manual of the Trees of N. America. Dover Publications Inc. New York. 1965-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20278-X

    ↩1↩2↩3

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