Gleditsia triacanthos
Honey locust are particularly excellent species for silvopasture and can increase grass production through dappled shade and soil improvement. They can quickly provide shade, and tolerate salt and pollution. They produce pods that have an edible sweet green flesh. The pods also have small, protein filled beans, which can be a nutritious forage for livestock (although their digestibility is still being debated). Native pollinators flock to their flowers in the spring and they host the larvae of the Silver Spotted Skipper as well as many other moths and butterflies. Their small, delicate leaves turn a bright yellow in the fall. Our trees are grown from seed and not grafted.
Check out our blog post – Honey Locust – Loved by Livestock and People Alike
Zone: 3-9 (Map)
Habitat: Can tolerate a large range of soils, including moderate drought and flooding. Full sun.
Growth: 60 ft tall, 40 ft at maturity.