Features

• A honey locust tree grows 30 to 70 feet tall and 30 to 50 feet wide. It has a spreading shape that is often rounded on the top with bright green leaves that turn a distinctive yellow in the fall. The tree trunk will reach 3 feet in diameter. It is an excellent shade tree that grows quickly.
  
  

Identification

• Honey locust tree.
  
  Honey locust trees have a dark brown bark that becomes scaly at maturity. The dark green leaves are oblong in shape to a lanceolate shape. The seedpods are brown-purple in color and are flat like snow peas. The pods are 1 1/2 feet long and 2 inches wide. Thorns on this tree are very large, with three points in a purple-brown color.
  
  

Types

• The nursery-grown types of the honey locust have different features from the trees found in the wild. These three types are all seedless, podless and thornless. These types are the Sunburst, Shademaster and the Majestic variations. The Sunburst has leaves that are yellow when new foliage appears, which then turn to the standard bright green. The Shademaster has branches that grow upward, which gives it a natural pear shape without pruning the dark green leaves. The Majestic is similar to the native honey locust in size and shape but has no thorns or seedpods.
  
  

Benefits

• These trees grow rapidly in full to partial sunlight and are simple to maintain. They must be sprayed twice a year for web worms, but other than that they need no special care and will grow quickly in any soil type. The honey locust makes an excellent large shade tree for your yard, and many homeowners line the street of their property or their driveways with them.
  
  

Considerations

• Animals such as squirrels, rabbits, deer and birds enjoy the honey locust seedpods. A honey locust tree in your yard may attract several types of wildlife for you to enjoy. Some cattle ranchers plant these trees on the edges of the pastures for added nutrients for their cows. This type of tree is too rare for use in commercial purposes without depleting them from the forest, though they are in use for some interior decorations and furniture. A honey locust makes an exceptional addition to any property due to its rarity in many areas, in addition to the ease of growth and beauty.