# Honey Locusts (*gleditsia*)

Honey Locusts are tall trees with beautiful, feathery leaves that dance in the wind. They produce long, flat pods that are a favorite snack for many animals!

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger
- **Habitat:** Honey Locusts thrive in open areas, fields, and along riverbanks.
- **Also known as:** Gleditsia Tree, Honey Locust Tree

![Honey Locusts](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Gleditsia_triacanthos01.JPEG&width=800)

Photo: No machine-readable author provided. JoJan assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gleditsia_triacanthos01.JPEG)

## Appearance

The Honey Locust is a tall tree known for its distinctive long, sharp thorns on its trunk and branches, though thornless varieties exist. It has delicate, fern-like green leaves and produces long, leathery brown seed pods that can reach over a foot in length.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Genus:** Gleditsia

## Interesting facts

- Honey Locust is often planted in cities because it tolerates pollution.
- Its scientific name, Gleditsia, honors the German botanist Johann Gleditsch.
- Native Americans used the sweet pod pulp as food and to make drinks.
- Wild Honey Locust thorns can be up to 10 inches long!

## Special abilities

- **Spiky Shield:** Honey Locusts have formidable, sharp thorns that help them protect their trunk and branches from hungry animals.
- **Sweet Pod Delivery:** Honey Locusts have long, sweet-pulped pods that encourage animals to eat and widely disperse their seeds.
- **Tough Tree Traveler:** Honey Locusts can thrive in many soil types and climates, helping it survive dry spells and grow almost anywhere.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 1500-4500 cm
- **Spread:** 1000-2000 cm
- **Flower Size:** 0.5-1 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Late_spring_to_early_summer
- **Edible:** Yes
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** European Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Bees collect nectar and pollen from its small flowers.
- **Eaten by:** [White-tailed Deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-tailed-deer) (*Odocoileus virginianus*) — Deer browse young branches and eat sweet pods.
- **Eats:** [Eastern Gray Squirrel](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-gray-squirrel) (*Sciurus carolinensis*) — Squirrels eat the seeds found inside the pods.
- **Shelter:** [Red-tailed Hawk](https://www.snappit.app/explore/red-tailed-hawk) (*Buteo jamaicensis*) — Hawks build nests high in its sturdy branches.

## Traits

- [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring.
- [Arboreal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/arboreal): Arboreal animals live primarily in trees, utilizing them for shelter, food, and protection from predators.
- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material.
- [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger

No special safety notes yet.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Honey Locusts?

Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Honey Locusts?

1500-4500 cm

### How wide does Honey Locusts spread?

1000-2000 cm

### How big are the flowers on Honey Locusts?

0.5-1 cm

### When does Honey Locusts bloom?

Late_spring_to_early_summer

### Is Honey Locusts edible?

Yes

### Is Honey Locusts toxic?

None

### What is Honey Locusts's lifecycle?

Perennial

## Where to spot

- [Maheras-Gentry Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/maheras-gentry-park) — Michigan, US · Park

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Honey Locusts: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/honey-locusts)