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Common Name: Gleditsia triacanthos var. inermis ‘Suncole’ Sunburst Honeylocust
Campus Location: Heintz Center SMART Gardens
The name honeylocust is derived from the edible sweet, gummy substance found inside the twisted seed pod. The Native Americans used the seed pulp for food and to make beer. The ‘Suncole’ cultivar is noted for its bright yellow foliage that emerges in spring, turning green for the summer, and finally to a golden-yellow in autumn. Sunburst honeylocust is thornless which is great for the landscape considering that the thorns on a honeylocust can be 6 inches long and wickedly sharp! The hard thorns have been used as nails. This irregularly rounded tree reaches approximately 35 feet tall and with a spread of 30 to 35 feet provides excellent filtered shade. Honeylocust trees are polygamo-dioecious, producing perfect (bisexual) flowers and imperfect (unisexual) flowers on the same tree. The fragrant, nectar laden flowers are not showy. The Sunburst honeylocust is seedless producing imperfect male (pollen producing) flowers only.
Updated: March 2, 2012 1:40 PM
