Thornless Honey Locust (Gleditsia tricanthos var. inermis)

1-2 Year Old Bareroot Seedling 12"-18"

Honey locust is a bright happy tree with many uses. It is fast growing, fixes nitrogen and produces copious biomass through leaf shed and woody debris. This tree yields pods that were a favorite food of woolly mammoths and mastadons back in the day and would manage to feed wildlife or livestock pretty well in the modern age. These trees tolerate urban conditions and pollution with ease thus making them a lovely street tree. Honey locust casts a light shade and works well as pioneer species to make way for more long lived plants. One of its greatest beneifts is the ability for it to fix nitrogen into the soil and live in very marginal sites. 

We purchased seedstock of a thornless variety that reportedly grows true to type. Honey locusts thorns can be vicious so the inermis variety could be a real benefit to those hoping to avoid stabbing themselves, popping tires or prying thorns out of kids and animals. Thornless seedlings can develop thorns randomly so heads up!