Gleditsia triacanthos f.inermis Shademaster - Honeylocust

The Gleditsia triacanthos inermis 'Shademaster' is a beautiful variety of American Honey Locust with a sprawling habit, which does not produce thorns and hardly any fruits. Its deciduous foliage, shiny, finely cut like that of the albizzia, is dark green from spring to summer, turning golden yellow in autumn. With its airy and majestic habit, it provides a light shade, very pleasant in summer. Superb as a standalone, this original will adapt to any type of soil, and its good hardiness will allow it to acclimatise everywhere.

The Gleditsia triacanthos is a tree from the fabaceae family, related to the carob tree, native to the east and centre of the United States (from Nebraska, through Pennsylvania to Texas). Its growth is fast, especially on fresh soil. 'Shademaster' is a horticultural selection with thornless branches. It has a particularly sprawling, airy silhouette, and vegetation arranged in 'drapery'. It will reach about 15 m (49 ft 2 in) in height and 10 m (32 ft 10 in) in width. The foliage appears late, at the end of spring. The large leaves very cut into small leaflets are alternate, paripinnate, and measure between 14 and 25 cm (5.5 and 9.8 in). Dark green, they turn golden yellow in autumn. The straight and clear trunk has a nice dark bark slashed with crevices. This tree is dioecious (there are male and female individuals) and its summer flowering, discreet, is very melliferous. Only the female plants bear mahogany to brown and flattened pods, 20 to 40 cm (7.9 to 15.7 in) long, evergreen, with a sweet and edible pulp. The ‘Shademaster’ cultivar produces little or no fruit. Young plants need to be protected from severe cold, but an adult tree will withstand temperatures well below -15°C (5 °F). This tree has a pivoting and deep root system, which requires a soil of a similar depth.

It is a perfect tree as a standalone plant, in a large garden, planted near the terrace or a resting area, where it provides a beautiful light and pleasant shade, without preventing other plants from growing at its base.

The Gleditsia tree is often used for ornamental purposes due to its attractive appearance. It has a hard and dense red-brown wood commonly used in the local manufacturing of posts and railway sleepers. The tree's foliage is also rich in protein, making it an excellent source of fodder for cattle. This highly adaptable tree can thrive in rich and moist soil, even in poorly drained areas. Once established, it can also tolerate dry soils in summer and poor and limestone soil.