EDDIE SEAGLE: Thornless honeylocust shows off yellow leaves in fall

“One benefit of summer was that each day we had more light to read by.”

— Jeanette Walls, “The Glass Castle”

“August rain: the best of the summer gone, and the new fall not yet born. The odd uneven time.”

— Sylvia Plath

It’s hot outside! And August is passing right along with its high temps and extreme humidity with scattered thunderstorms here and there. The heat index is so high and the middle of the day is so very taxing on those exposed to the elements of nature. However, good news is on its way as August leads to September which leads to October and cooler temps. Next thought — landscaping! Plan your tree list for fall planting and take a closer look at the thornless common honeylocust (Gleditsia triacanthos form inermis).

This tree has caught the attention of arborists, community foresters and homeowners all across America. It is easy to plant, grows fast with fairly strong branches, is aesthetically pleasing and is durable enough to cope with most urban settings. In natural settings, it grows in both the thorned (with thorns up to 12 inches long) and the thornless forms. Throughout much of the South, it is still referred to as the Confederate pintree since its thorns were once used to pin uniforms together during the Civil War.

In general, the thornless honey locust grows to a height of 30-70 feet and a spread of 30-70 feet at maturity. It’s fast rate of growth may produce more than 24 inches per year in height. It tolerates a wide range of soils including acidic, alkaline, moist, dry and salty conditions with a modest tolerance for both flooding and drought. The thornless honey locust shows off its distinctively yellow leaves in the fall while attracting the attention of many eyes, both amateur and professional alike.

Other characteristics include pinnately or bipinnately compound leaves approximately 8 inches long with 8-14 leaflets which are the last leaves to emerge in the spring, small greenish-yellow blossoms which are particularly fragrant, large brown seed pods resembling twisted leather straps measuring 7-18 inches long, and an oval or round canopy shape.

The thornless honey locust seed pods and seeds can be consumed by livestock and wildlife including rabbits, deer, and squirrels; and the flowers can provide a good source of food for bees. It is a native tree from Pennsylvania to Nebraska and south to Texas.

It gets the name “honey” from the sweet, honey-like substance found in its pods. And “locust” from the grasshopper-like insect that its seed pods resemble. The Cherokee Indians made bows from its durable and strong wood. Also, fence posts and railroad ties were made from this tree because of its durability and strength.

The thornless common honey locust can function as specimen plants or as street trees. Because their canopy is relatively loose and airy, these trees don’t make effective shade trees if heavy shade is your objective. However, this same canopy characteristic makes them effective lawn trees.

An undesirable characterictic of Gleditsia (thorny or thornless) is the mess created when the seed pods drop in fall. The development of podless types was a major breakthrough and elevated thornless honey locusts to an elite status as a non-messy tree, ideal for low-maintenance landscaping.

Some problems for honey locusts include insects such as webworm and borers, and diseases such as leaf spot and canker disease. However, honey locusts are deer-resistant trees.

Cultivars include Moraine which is a seedless male cultivar with a graceful outline and small dark green foliage that turns golden yellow in the fall. Also, Skyline (Arrowhead), which is a fruitless male cultivar with a pyramidal shape.

Suncole (Sunburst) is a deciduous, irregular, fast-growing shade tree with fern-like golden compound leaves and white flowers in spring. Its new foliage is yellow in the spring then transitions to a greenish-yellow and to light green in the summer. In the fall, the leaves return to the yellow color that defined them in spring. It offers good foliage color for two different seasons of the year. Suncole attains a mature height and spread of about 30-40 feet. Its late leafing out in the spring creates a foliar display that is magnificent. Suncole is podless and non-messy.

Shademaster is a deciduous, irregular, non-messy, fast-growing shade tree whose color evolution conforms more to the norm, beginning in spring with green and ending in the fall with a golden-yellow foliage. Other cultivars include Beatrice, Continental, Fairview, Green Arbor, Halka, Hartselle, Imperial, Lake’s No. 1, Majestic, Mandan, Millwood, Orr, Park, Paul Bunyan, Penn, Royal Green, Stephens, Ward, among others.

Always think in terms of native and sustainable plants in the landscape. Keep your hanging baskets and potted plants refreshed with water and food. Remember to feed and water the songbirds. Give your pets the care they need. Do not leave them unattended in a hot car or tied to a tree all day long. Also, be on lookout for children playing and bicyclists riding along the streets and roadways throughout our communities. Don’t drive distracted or impaired, and don’t text while driving. Help the homeless and those in need every chance you get. Let’s keep everyone blessed and safe!

“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” Romans 8:18.

Eddie Seagle is a sustainability associate, Golf Environment Organization (Scotland); agronomist and horticulturalist, CSI: Seagle (Consulting Services International); professor emeritus and honorary alumnus, Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, and associate editor of The Golf Course, International Journal of Golf Science. Direct inquiries to [email protected].