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The arboretum's lone honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos) is looking all grown up. This is an 8-year-old tree that germinated in the campus greenhouse from seed collected in Caddo Parish. Upon collection the species was not known for certain, but we are now confident that this is a honey locust.
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Our honey locust grows in the middle of a gradual slope; not at the top of the hill and not at the bottom. Pictured in the background, we see the red bricks of Cline Hall dormitory, currently being remodeled.
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Much of the new growth is now out of reach. The youngest leaves are red and orange. Don't worry, they're fine.
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| For the first several years, this specimen had long,
skinny, flopping branches that refused to stay upright. Regular pruning
and staking were required to develop a straight trunk, and also to minimize the hazardous nature of the thorny branches. |
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Toward its base, the trunk is approximately four inches wide and it is heavily protected. Do small animals make useful habitat out of these thorns?
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In the arboretum record, this is the first year it has produced flowers. Photographs of the flowers were taken on April 22, 2022.
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Pollinators were hard at work.
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Small, greenish flowers hang in clusters. These flowers aren't showy, but have a nice fragrance.
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You can see more photos of this honey locust on an older blog post, found
here.
