Gleditsia triacanthos f.inermis Sunburst - Honeylocust

Gleditsia triacanthos 'Sunburst' is a particularly bright variety of thornless honey locust, known for the golden tones that its glossy foliage takes on from spring to autumn. Its finely cut leaves transition from spring yellow to summer anise green and then turn to coppery gold in autumn before falling. The tree, with its impressive size, has an airy silhouette and provides light shade, which is very pleasant in summer. Stunning as a standalone tree, and beautifully coloured in a mixed hedge, this unique specimen will adapt to any type of soil, and its good hardiness will allow it to acclimate anywhere.

Gleditsia triacanthos is sometimes called thorny honey locust, three-thorned honey locust, three-pointed honey locust, honey locust, or Christ's thorn. It belongs to the Fabaceae family, related to the carob tree and the Sophora, for example. It is native to eastern and central United States (from Nebraska through Pennsylvania to Texas). Its growth is rapid, especially in cool soil. This tree has a deep taproot system that requires a soil of good thickness.

'Sunburst' is a horticultural selection with remarkable foliage and a branch structure devoid of thorns. Its silhouette is taller than wide, airy towards the top, and its growth habit is 'draping'. It will reach approximately 10 m to 12 m (32.8 ft to 39.4 ft) in height with an 8 m (26.2 ft) spread. The foliage appears late in spring. The large leaves, finely cut into small leaflets, are alternate, paripinnate, and measure between 14 cm and 25 cm (5.5 in to 9.8 in). The foliage colour moves from spring yellow to anise green and then to yellow-orange in autumn. The leaves bear a glossy texture that plays beautifully with light, even in transparency. The straight and unobstructed trunk has a lovely dark bark with fissures. This tree is dioecious (it has male and female subjects) and its discreet summer flowering is very attractive to bees. Only the female trees bear flat, mahogany to brown pods measuring 20 cm to 40 cm (7.9 in to 15.7 in), which are persistent in winter and have a sweet and edible pulp. Young plants need to be protected from extreme cold, but a mature tree can withstand temperatures well below -15° C (5° F).

It is a perfect tree as a standalone specimen, in a large garden, planted near a terrace or a resting area, where it provides a little shade without preventing other plants from growing at its base. Its astonishing colours catch the light, breaking the monotony of certain foliage, such as lilacs, mock oranges, and deutzias, once their flowering has finished.

An ornamental tree and a useful plant, Gleditsia has hard and dense, reddish-brown wood, used for making posts and railway sleepers, but also appreciated in cabinet-making. Its foliage, rich in proteins, is excellent fodder for livestock. This highly adaptable tree thrives in rich and moist soil, or even poorly drained soil. It also tolerates dry, poor, and calcareous soils once it is well established.