96 



Native Trees of Kentucky 



Honey Locust Gleditsia triacanthos. 



The Honey Locust is found 

 abundantly in Kentucky west 

 of the mountains, associated 

 with Black Walnut, Hickory, 

 Elm, Basswood and Ash. In 

 the gravelly uplands of Central 

 Kentucky, it is the dominant 

 tree. 



It serves its most valuable 

 purpose as a living tree for 

 hedges, shelter belts, and for 

 restoring fertility to worn out 

 and gully-washed land. The 

 wood, durable in contact with 

 the soil, is used for poles, fence 

 posts and fuel. Unlike Black 



Locust, it is not injured by borer and leaf miner. 



\Yhile Black Locust has small prickles originating in the bark. 

 Honey Locust has true thorns springing from the pith of the tree, 

 recognized as undeveloped or abortive branches ; these thorns, 

 often set in clusters on trunk and branches, are generally three- 

 pronged ; this fact justifies the specific name, triacanthos. 



The flowers are inconspicuous, of two kinds : staminate and 

 pistillate on same tree. 



Tree in the forest reaching a large size : in the open, pro- 

 ducing a short trunk and broad crown. 



Bark dark brown, rough, usually set with clusters of ag- 

 gressive thorns. 

 Leaves twice pinnately compound, 7 to 9 inches long, leaflets 



small. 



Fruit purplish, twisted pods, 6 to 18 inches long, containing 

 a sweet pulp between seeds. 



