Honey Locust Information - How To Grow A Honey Locust Tree

They transplant well, so growing honey locust trees is pretty simple to begin with. Choose a sunny location, somewhere you want to add shade, and where you have rich and moist soil. Make sure you create a large hole for your tree because honey locust has a large, coarse root ball.

How do you grow a honey locust tree?

Honey locusts like moist soil, so be sure that the soil is watered well. Plant the seeds, giving them enough room grow (about three inches apart). Plant them at a depth of about one half inch, and cover them in soil. Place plastic wrap over the pot, and punch a few small hole in the plastic for ventilation.

How fast does honey locust tree grow?

This tree grows at a fast rate, with height increases of more than 24" per year.

How do you take care of a honey locust tree?

Honey locusts have a moderate tolerance for flooding, drought, and other adverse conditions. They thrive in both moist or dry soil. Trees should be watered as soon as they are planted and weekly for the first year. A one-hour trickle that slowly saturates the roots provides adequate water for a new tree.

Where do honey locust trees grow?

Honey locusts are native to North and South America, tropical Africa, and central and eastern Asia. Some species are cultivated as ornamentals, and a number are useful for timber or as animal fodder. Thorny trunk of the common honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos).

What is a honey locust tree good for?

Honey locust wood is easily split, capable of obtaining a high luster finish, and is durable when in contact with soil. For these reasons, timber from honey locust has been used as fence posts, railroad ties, furniture, warehouse or shipping pallets, tool handles and fuel.

How can you tell a honey locust tree?

Ways to Identify a Locust Tree

In the spring, identify locust trees (Robinia spp.) by their pendant clusters of fragrant, sweet pea-shaped flowers, which are usually white or pink. And keep an eye out for sharp, straight or forked spines and by their feathery, pinnately compound leaves.

Are honey locust tree roots invasive?

Like many other trees with invasive roots, honey locust suckers grow freely from roots, sending up potential new trees that must be dealt with. Those roots can also pose problems with underground pipes.

Are honey locust trees messy?

An undesirable characteristic 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.

What are the worst trees to plant?

Trees known for their rather undesirable qualities, and why you should steer clear of them.

Cottonwood. One of the trees you should avoid having in your backyard is certainly cottonwood. ...
Bradford Pear. ...
Mimosa Tree. ...
Mulberry Tree. ...
Chinese Tallow. ...
Norway Maple. ...
Eucalyptus. ...
Quaking Aspen.

How can you tell a black locust from a honey locust?

Usually honey locust will have VERY pronounced thorns, usually extending from the trunk, not the branches. The thorns are MUCH longer than those of black locust. Also, the bark is generally a bit smoother on honey locust if the tree is small, then cracking a bit like hickory as it gets larger.

How deep are honey locust roots?

Honey locusts have strong, deep taproots that extend as far as 20 feet down as opposed to most trees, which only extend 3 to 7 feet beneath the surface However, unlike the classic tap root system, honey locust trees also have profusely branching roots, as is characteristic of heart root systems.

Why is my honey locust tree dying?

Cankers and root collar rot are the major diseases of honey- locusts. Canker disease symptoms include sunken, dead areas of bark; dieback; reduced foliage; yellow foliage; premature fall coloration; and early leaf drop. To control canker diseases, prevent wounds and stress and promote tree vigor.

Are honey locust trees valuable?

Since sawlog quality trees are not abundant, the species is not often traded in the wholesale market, but sooner or later, every hardwood sawmill will likely produce some honey locust lumber. For the woodworker looking for something a little different and at a reasonable price, honey locust could be the ticket.

Are honey locust trees poisonous to dogs?

Honey locust and carob trees are classified as nontoxic to dogs, while black locust and other Robinia species are specified as poisonous by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. ... Bring your pup to the vet for treatment if you suspect it's eaten any locust leaves from a toxic species.

Can humans eat honey locust pods?

The pulp on the inside of the pods is edible (unlike the black locust, which is toxic) and consumed by wildlife and livestock. Despite its name, the honey locust is not a significant honey plant.

Is honey locust wood rot resistant?

Rot Resistance: Rated as moderately durable to durable; susceptible to insect attacks. Workability: Honey Locust can be difficult to work with hand and machine tools on account of its density, though it generally produces good results. Turns, glues, stains, and finishes well.

Do honey locust trees smell?

The flowers of the honey locust tree are petite and pale green. In male trees, the flowers form in dense clusters, while female flowers are more loosely arranged. They have a very strong scent.

How do you kill a honey locust tree?

Herbicides -- When applied to a hole drilled in the stump of a recently felled honey locust, the herbicides picloram and triclopyr will quickly and efficiently kill the tree. These herbicides can also be painted onto the bark at the base of young trees to kill them, although this is largely ineffective on older trees.

Are locust trees invasive?

Black locusts have invasive traits that enable them to spread aggressively. ... Black locust produces hanging clusters of very fragrant white flowers in spring. This fast-growing native tree can form colonies and has brittle wood.

Is a honey locust tree good for firewood?

Honey Locust - Honey locust firewood is excellent for burning. It is a very dense hardwood that puts out a lot of heat and a very long burn. For firewood, it is comparable to black locust as far as heat output. It is a wood that can spark and pop so best to have a closed fireplace or wood stove when burning indoors.