Tree Talk: Honey Locust

These are a great shade tree for the garden, plus the honey locust is one of Plant Doctor Gary Jentink's favorite trees!

[@Laurel-Crowned]

You forgot the best part! In spring they smell so good 😊

[@KatKrueger]

Thank You! Very informative.

[@moananursery]

We're glad to hear it was helpful!

[@MisterOz73]

I’ve got me a honey locust I grew from seed. It’s been around 4 years now and it really took off this summer and grew from 6inches to 2.5ft tall with two . It’s in a large clay pot and I don’t know when/how or where to plant it so it has the best chance for survival and good health.

[@moananursery]

I've got a lot of locust tree seedlings! One of the reasons I like this tree so much is how easy it is to grow, even from seed. Soil type doesn't seem to be so important to them, but what they really care about is light, try and put it in the sunniest spot you have available for it. You can plant it now if you wish, just make sure not to fertilize the tree this season or disturb the root ball too badly. Once it is in the ground, the water requirements will change, so make sure to let the soil dry out a little bit between saturation events. Besides that, sit back, relax, and enjoy the shade you'll get in a couple years. - Plant Doctor Gary Jentink

[@boomer3150]

@@moananursery Kentucky Coffeetree is another good one!

[@_Hannah_..]

@@moananursery ~ amaZinG !! 🌿🤍

[@erwinbrubacker7488]

I live in western NC, been destroying this thorney lawnmower tire deflator. Plus its logs are no good for fence posts. I may need to reconsider the pros of this tree, I just learned of nitrogen fixer applications.

[@_Hannah_..]

wow ! ~~ Good to know !!! 🌿

[@denisefriese7522]

Are there varieties that don't spread by the roots? I have heard they are very invasive and create a forest.

[@moananursery]

The Honey Locust varieties that we personally carry are grafted to help suppress any root spreading. If the tree is cut down it may respond by trying to send out roots and new shoots but this is more commonly seen with Purple Robe Locust trees. Honey Locusts do produce seed pods though which we recommend cleaning up if you don't want them to potentially seed into your yard.

[@MrSummerbreeze01]

@@moananursery Can you graft a HL on a blk locust stock?

[@_Hannah_..]

hoLYyyy !!!!! ~~ Oh my goodnesSsss ❕❕❕❕❕

[@_Hannah_..]

@@moananurserywow ! Good to know that the seed pods will create a forest !!!

[@parsonsmark]

I have had two of these trees that I planted over 10 or 12 years ago. They may have grown a foot over all this time. Ive tried tree fertilizer spikes over the years, etc. I can't get them to grow. Is there such a thing as a dwarf honey locust tree? If so, i got them.😢

[@moananursery]

Yes, there are dwarf varieties of honey locust trees! One popular dwarf variety is the Gleditsia triacanthos 'Sunburst', which is also known as the Sunburst Honey Locust. This variety is known for its smaller size, typically reaching a height of about 20-30 feet, which is significantly shorter than the standard honey locust trees that can grow up to 70 feet tall. Another dwarf variety is the Gleditsia triacanthos var. inermis 'Moraine', which is a thornless honey locust that remains more compact compared to its full-sized counterparts. If you do have one of these varieties the height may be restricted by it's genetics. If you can verify it is not one of these smaller/dwarf varieties, we would recommend regular use of a high nitrogen fertilizer. and regular pruning. Best of luck to you!

[@Anunnaki-z7i]

I love these trees, but the seed pods are a pain to rake and bag. The seeds germinate like weeds in my yard.

[@michaelgusovsky]

there seems to be a bit of debate about whether honey locust is a nitrogen fixer. some sources say yes, some say no.

[@AllGrowing]

At what age of the tree do the thorns show/come out? Thanks for the info on this tree!

[@garyjentink2402]

Guess it depends on the cultivar. I’ve got some seedlings that started pushing out thorns in the first few weeks of life. Most manmade versions you get at stores don’t ever thorn out unless you prune them too much.

[@RocketPipeTV]

Great video! I’m planning to use mine as a nitrogen fixer in my permaculture food forest. I’m interested in propagation and using it as chop and drop around my food trees. From you video I understand that copacing could lead to problems. Could you be more specific on that issue.

[@moananursery]

Since Honey Locusts can grow thorns when heavily pruned, coppicing can make these trees a hazard by causing them to grow their thorns. If you're only interested in feeding nitrogen into the soil and don't mind working around the thorns though then coppicing and propagating should work.

[@WilliamHunterII]

Gleditsia triacanthos. An appropriate specific epithet. It's named for Johann Gottlieb Gleditsch (1714--1786), a German physician and botanist.

[@hotwireman49]

I have 20 of these on my property, and they are all covered in thorns. even the seedlings. I don't know what to do. they are invasive. i hate to kill them but the thorns!!

[@_Hannah_..]

woW !!!!

[@blackpine6693]

A messy tree….don’t plant near drives,walks patios …..and surface roots suck…..

[@moananursery]

"The surface roots of any tree can become a problem if they're not watered correctly. Leaving a large gap of time in-between then watering heavily will drive the roots deep into the soil in search of water. If you water several times a day, every day, the roots have no incentive to grow down to follow the moisture. The tree can be considered "messy" but I just like to rake the leaves back around the root zone, creating a golden ring under the tree's canopy. These leaflets break down quickly and add nitrogen to the soil." - Plant Doctor Gary

[@_Hannah_..]

@@moananursery ~ Thank you !!! 💙🦕🌏🌿🌿 I love your knowledge !!

[@Josh-GT]

I did not know about this watering routine. Now I'm stuck with a 30 foot tall Honey Locust. I'd hate to cut it down because it gives great shade, but there are surface roots EVERYWHERE! The little shoots are taking over my backyard!! What can I do???