Honeylocust

Honeylocust (Gleditsia triacanthos) is offered here as a bare-root tree from November to March, and as a potted tree the rest of the year, sold as a young, well-rooted tree. A fast-growing, deciduous tree native to North America, it develops a light, airy canopy of fine, fern-like leaves and typically reaches 15 to 20 m with a similar spread. Small, fragrant greenish flowers appear in early summer, valued by bees, followed by long, twisted seed pods in autumn that provide food for birds and wildlife. Note that this straight species carries long, branched thorns on its trunk and branches, so it's best sited away from paths, play areas, or wherever children and pets roam freely. Remarkably tough, it tolerates poor, compacted, or urban soils, drought, and pollution once established. A resilient, dappled-shade tree for Irish and UK shelterbelts, urban plantings, and wildlife gardens.