Sunburst Honey Locust Tree
Gleditsia triacanthos ‘Sunburst’
The Sunburst honey locust grows to 70 feet, with an open, spreading crown and distinctive horizontal branching habit. Free of the nasty thorns and messy pods of other more primitive locusts, the Sunburst nevertheless has a massive, shallow rooting habit that can heave sidewalks and curbs if not given enough room. [2]
The thornless honey locust has been an exceptionally popular tree for all types of landscapes. Small leaves on the open canopy allow pleasantly dappled light to reach the ground. The ability to grow grass under these trees has helped them reach the popularity they now enjoy.
This Sunburst Honey Locust is 54 years old on May 10th, 2011 at The Morton Arboretum. It was planted in 1956.
Japanese locust thorns; this ancient defense mechanism has been bred out of many modern species.
References
1. Colorado State University, “Sunburst Honeylocust (Gleditsia triacanthos ‘Sunburst’)”
2. Sunburst Honey Locust, Morton Arboretum acc. 366-56*1, photos by Bruce Marlin
North American Insects & Spiders
Online since 2002
