Gleditsia triacanthos var. inermis ‘Skycole’ – Skyline® Honeylocust

Botanical Name: Gleditsia triacanthos var. inermis ‘Skycole’

The Skyline® Honeylocust is a cultivar of the Honeylocust. Gleditsia triacanthos is a tree that is found growing in the eastern and mid-western United States. Gleditsia is named after a director of the botanical gardens in Berlin in the eighteenth century, Johann Gottlieb Gleditsch.

The variety ‘Inermis’ means thornless, making this cultivar a more attractive tree to plant in landscapes. ‘Skycole’ is a beautiful Honey Locust cultivar with superior fall color. It is a deciduous, pyramidal shaped tree with a strong central leader. The Skyline® Honeylocust grows to a height of 35-45 feet with a spread of 25-35 feet. It does not produce many, if any, seeds and has an open crown with upward branch structure that creates dappled shade.

The leaves are a handsome dark green and they are either pinnately or bipinnately compound. The ovate-shape leaflets grow up to 0.5 to 1.5 inches long. The Skyline® Honeylocust is a great addition to the landscape, bringing its fine textured foliage to contrast with more coarse textured trees, such as the Norway Maple. The foliage turns a bright golden yellow in the fall.

Plant the Skyline® Honeylocust in full sun to ensure that it thrives. It is tolerant of different types of soil and various pH levels. This tree will withstand drought and urban pollution very well, making it suitable for use as a street tree or in urban parks.