Gleditsia triacanthos f. inermis 'Impcole' [sold as Imperial®]
Imperial Thornless Honeylocust

 Plant Type:
 Growth Forms:
 Hardiness:
 Deciduous / Evergreen:
 Flower Notes:
Yellow (Spring; not ornamentally important)
 Foliage Notes:
Green (Dark green pinnately compound summer foliage); Yellow (Pleasant, bright yellow fall coloration)
 Fruit Notes:
Brown (Long (7-18"), interesting pods; 'Impcole' is low-fruiting)
 Ultimate Height:
30-40 feet
 Ultimate Spread:
25-35 feet
 Light Requirements:
 Soil Notes:
Widely adapted to soils
 Range:
Cultivated origin
 Diagnostic Characteristics:
Leaves alternate, pinnately or bipinnately compound, 6-8" long with pubescent rachis and leaflets only 0.3-1.5" long. Zig-zag branches with swollen nodes of a shining red to reddish to greenish-brown color. Fruits (when present) are 7-18" reddish-brown pods that persist. Bark is divided into flat plates, separated by deep ridges. The branches of 'Impcole' come out of the main trunk at 90 degree angles.

Additional Information

This rounded, compact, and low-fruiting cultivar has finely compound leaves that provide a pleasant, dappled shade in the summer. The thornless forma inermis is only sold in commerce, as the profuse thorns of the species type can be a liability. Mimosa webworm and locust mite are serious pests in the Midwest, and are becoming more serious (especially in areas tending toward monoculture). Can be controlled with spraying.

4 Gleditsia triacanthos f. inermis 'Impcole' [sold as Imperial®] found

Building Map...

Loading...
= Heritage plant = Memorial plant
Number Accession ID Location
12013_00905*ARSC
22013_00903*ARSC
32013_00902*ARSC
42013_00904*ARSC

Other plants like this Gleditsia triacanthos f. inermis 'Impcole' [sold as Imperial®] (Imperial Thornless Honeylocust)

The Purdue Arboretum is a collaboration between the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture and Physical Facilities Grounds Department

Purdue Arboretum, 625 Agriculture Mall Dr, West Lafayette, IN, 47907
© 2024 Purdue University | An equal access/equal opportunity university | Integrity Statement | Copyright Complaints | Maintained by the Purdue Arboretum
Contact Purdue Arboretum at arboretum@purdue.edu for accessibility issues with this page | Accessibility Resources | Contact Us