Honey locust
Gleditsia triacanthos
family
Caesalpiniaceae
origin
Exotic
declaration
Category 3 Restricted Matter (Biosecurity Act 2014)
Must not be distributed or disposed. This means it must not be released into the environment unless the distribution or disposal is authorised in a regulation or under a permit.
Common names
Honey locust, Bean tree, Common honeylocust, Honey-locust, Honeyshuck, McConnel's curse, Sweet locust, Thorny honeylocust.
A large tree with its trunk and branches covered in large, simple or branched, spines up to 18 cm long its once or twice compound leaves are alternately arranged along the branches. These leaves bear numerous leaflets (10-35 mm long and 4-12 mm wide) with finely toothed margins. Its inconspicuous flowers (3-5 mm long) are greenish or creamy-yellow and usually borne in elongated drooping clusters. Separate male and female flowers can be found on separate trees, but bisexual flowers are also produced. Its very large flattened pods (15-45 cm long and 2.5-4 cm wide) turn dark brown when mature and are somewhat curved.
Impact
Impact
Honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos) is regarded as an environmental weed in Queensland and New South Wales, and is listed as a priority environmental weed in four Natural Resource Management regions in these states. This highly invasive exotic tree is capable of out-competing and replacing native vegetation and readily forms dense colonies. These dense monocultures limit the habitat available to native fauna, as well as reducing the diversity of native plants. Honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos) is of most concern in south-eastern Queensland, where it is listed among the top 100 most invasive plant species. Prior to 1993, when an eradication program was initiated, dense infestations were present in the Warwick, Clifton and Allora areas on the Darling Downs and near Toogoolawah in the upper Brisbane River valley. This species can grow on most soil types, but it prefers the alluvial soils on floodplains and along riverbanks in south-eastern Queensland. Though most of these infestations are of the typical thorny form of Honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos ), the thornless ornamental varieties are also thought to be capable of causing the same impacts if they become widely naturalised.Though honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos) is currently not yet as widespread or troublesome in New South Wales, it is seen as a potentially significant environmental (and agricultural) weed in this state. For this reason it appears on numerous local and regional environmental weed lists (e.g. in the wider Sydney and Blue Mountains region, in the Far North Coast region, in the Sydney West region, in the Hawkesbury region, and in the Coffs Harbour and Blue Mountains local authority areas).
Location
Location
Characteristics
Characteristics
Similar Species
Similar Species
Honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos) is regarded as an environmental weed in Queensland and New South Wales, and is listed as a priority environmental weed in four Natural Resource Management regions in these states. This highly invasive exotic tree is capable of out-competing and replacing native vegetation and readily forms dense colonies. These dense monocultures limit the habitat available to native fauna, as well as reducing the diversity of native plants. Honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos) is of most concern in south-eastern Queensland, where it is listed among the top 100 most invasive plant species. Prior to 1993, when an eradication program was initiated, dense infestations were present in the Warwick, Clifton and Allora areas on the Darling Downs and near Toogoolawah in the upper Brisbane River valley. This species can grow on most soil types, but it prefers the alluvial soils on floodplains and along riverbanks in south-eastern Queensland. Though most of these infestations are of the typical thorny form of Honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos ), the thornless ornamental varieties are also thought to be capable of causing the same impacts if they become widely naturalised.Though honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos) is currently not yet as widespread or troublesome in New South Wales, it is seen as a potentially significant environmental (and agricultural) weed in this state. For this reason it appears on numerous local and regional environmental weed lists (e.g. in the wider Sydney and Blue Mountains region, in the Far North Coast region, in the Sydney West region, in the Hawkesbury region, and in the Coffs Harbour and Blue Mountains local authority areas).
