Gleditsia aquaticaIndiana Native
Water Locust
Other Common Names: Swamp Locust

Also known as: Gleditsia monosperma

Family:

Fabaceae (Bean Family) 50

Genus:

Gleditsia (Honeylocust) 6

Plant Type:

Tree 569

Growth Forms:

Spreading / Branched 95

Hardiness:

USDA Zone 6 39

Deciduous / Evergreen:

Deciduous 839

Flower Notes:

Small, bell-shaped. Grow on 2" long racemes.

Foliage Notes:

Compound leaves measure up to thirty inches long. The small leaflets occur in six to fourteen pairs on a leaf.

Stem Notes:

3-5" long reddish-brown thorns growing both on the lower parts of the trunk and out along the branches.

Fruit Notes:

Produces eye-shaped seedpods, about 1.5-inches long and flat.

Ultimate Height:

50-60' feet

Ultimate Spread:

25-35' feet

Bloom Times:

Fruiting Times:

Light Requirements:

Full Sun to Partial Shade

Soil Water Requirements:

Wet 5

Soil Notes:

Thrives in the wet, alluvial soils of river valleys, sloughs, and swamps

Range:

Coastal Plain, extending from South Carolina to central Florida, west to eastern Texas, and up the Mississippi River valley to southern Illinois and Indiana. It can also be found in scattered populations along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts and as far north as southern New York and southwestern Connecticut.

Maintenance:

High 16

Ecological Functions:

Cover for Wildlife 200

Purdue Plant Doctor

Parts and Problems of Honey Locust

Special Characteristics:

Indiana Native 162

Thorns 6

Wet Soil Tolerant 109

Additional Information

This native Indiana tree species is found in three southwestern counties near the lower Wabash River. It is often found in wet or ponded locations where there is standing water or high water tables. Not recommended for the landscape as it has large, multi-pronged thorns. Like its cousin, the honey locust, it has compound leaves, but can be differentiated by its location, much smaller seed pods, and flattened thorns along the branches.