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Thoughts on honey locust problems

4 months ago

I've always loved honey locusts for their form and leaves that don't make too much of a mess. I was planning on painting a couple at our new house, although the more I look I've been seeing a lot of things about honey locust diseases due to over planting. In my current neighborhood there are not a lot of honey locusts (and I've always thought of them as a trouble-free tree, I had one of my old house I never had any problems), but I'm also hesitant to plant a tree that is going to cause problems. I'm still traumatized from all the ash trees being cut down in our area a number of years ago.
I know that no tree is without issues, although I'm worried that honey locusts will be the next big tree problem. Any thoughts?

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Comments (5)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
4 months ago
give us a big city name... it helps us understanding where you are.. and what plants might be better ...

also.. a shot of your new house would help ... do you have a big enough front lawn to plant more than one tree .. far enough away from the house so as to not be a problem too soon in the future ...

and by new house.. do you mean construction. or just new to you ... are you selecting off a builder list of crumby trees.. lol ..

ken
Carolyn
Original Author
4 months ago
I'm south of Chicago and have a big yard with no trees. It's not new construction, just new to me.
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do mature honey locust not grow thorns?
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Those Gleditsia of wild heritage have some of the most forbidding thorns of anything I've ever seen. And as with so many things, it seems that when the thorns were selected away from in creating cultivars, some other good qualities went away too. Those wild, thorny ones also seem to be larger-growing and less prone to canker diseases than such landscape staples as 'inermis', ie. "Skyline honeylocust. There is an especially impressive one in one of our older parks. There are thorns down on the lower trunk that must be twelve inches in length, very stout and very sharp. +oM
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Yeah, pic needed for this one. Not at all sure what you're getting at when you say lots of new growth on main stem and branches. In any case, since it was moved, some roots were lost. It's possible that the top damage you are reporting stems from that, pun intended. But give us something to look at. +oM
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Far as I know Honey Locust is pretty tolerant of different moisture conditions. I do not notice it next to the big rivers here as much as the cottonwoods and sycamores but have read it is short term flood tolerant. Is the city expanding their Right Of Way? Or perhaps worried about damage to the root zone from digging or compaction? Sucks to be fighting city hall. Good luck.
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You hit exactly the right note in saying that perhaps "pyramidal" means something else in this species than in say, a spruce! It's all relative, and since I tend to choose my words carefully, I said above that it comes closest to having a central leader/pyramidal shape than other HL cultivars! If you would seek to avoid a tightly pyramidal shape, any HL variety is going to work. Now we, planting primarily street trees, like the fact that 'Skyline' does have at least some tendency towards this shape and towards having a central leader. But without pruning, these trees would simply not work along streetside.....ever. For kicks, see if you can find the J. Frank Schmidt Nursery (a giant Oregon wholesaler) posters depicting their offerings. A really nice feature of these things is silhouettes depicting the size and shape of the various offerings' crowns. I think that if you are able to locate this on the web, it might really make a difference for you in making your choice. BTW, another one to look at is 'Halka'. I'm not all that impressed by them but it might be close to what you're after. +oM
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pennlake
4 months ago
Yes, honeylocust is probably over planted in the midwest especially in commercial plantings. Research any tree and you will find a list of diseases and pests it could get, but I think HL are relatively trouble free when planted in a suitable location. Having 4 around my house I can also say they are also easy to clean up after in the fall. Another I'd recommend if you like light shade is Kentucky Coffee Tree. If you can find one of the male clones like Espresso, True North or Skinny Latte you won't get the seed pods.
bengz6westmd
3 months ago
last modified: 3 months ago
My honeylocust has been trouble free and a very fast grower. One thing is that if there aren't any others nearby, there's prb'ly less chance of diseases. I notice black locusts that are isolated from other black locusts have less problems. Mine's over 50 ft tall with an upright form after 17 years -- here in a rain shower alongside a longleaf pine.
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
3 months ago
Let's be careful with common names. Honey locust = Gleditsia tricanthos. Black locust = Robinia pseudoacacia. Different trees (but both natives) with different problems :-) However, aside from the weedy, invasive properties of the Robinia and its susceptibility to locust borers, none are overly serious.

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