Gledistia

Plant Characteristics
Origin:	✈	?

Cultivation

Exposure:	☼	?"?" is not in the list (sun, part-sun, shade, unknown) of allowed values for the "Exposure" property.
Water:	◍	?"?" is not in the list (wet, moist, moderate, dry, less when dormant) of allowed values for the "Water" property.

Scientific Names

Read about Gledistia in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture
Gledistia (after Gottlieb Gleditsch, director of the botanic garden at Berlin; died 1780). Syn. Gledistichia. Leguminosas. Honey Locust. Ornamental trees grown chiefly for their handsome finely divided foliage; also the large conspicuous pods and the branched spines are attractive. Deciduous, usually with large branched spines on trunk and branches: lvs. without stipules, alternate, abruptly pinnate, often partly bipinnate on the same lf. or wholly bipinnate, both usually on the same tree: fls. polygamous in racemes or rarely panicles; calyx- lobes and petals 3-5, petals nearly equal, not much longer than calyx, stamens 6-10; style short, with large terminal stigma: pod compressed, mostly large and indehiscent, 1- to many-seeded.—About 12 species in N. Amer., E. and Cent. Asia, in Trop. Afr. and in S. Amer. The honey locusts are large trees with spreading branches forming a broad graceful rather loose head, with finely pinnate foliage, generally light green and turning clear yellow in fall; the greenish flowers appearing in racemes early in summer are inconspicuous, but the large, flat pods are ornamental and the fertile tree is therefore to be preferred for planting. G. triacanthos is a useful native and is hardy North; G. japonica is almost hardy North, while G. delavayi and G. sinensis are tender. They are very valuable trees for park planting and for avenues, and make almost impenetrable hedges if planted thickly and pruned severely. The coarse-grained wood is durable and strong. The pulp of the pods of G. triacanthos is sweet when fresh, hence the name honey locust, but becomes bitter at length; that of G. japonica is used in Japan and that of G. sinensis and G. macracantha in China as a substitute for soap. The gleditsias are of vigorous growth and thrive in almost any soil; they stand drought well. Propagation is by seeds sown in spring about 1 inch deep; they should be soaked in hot water before being sown; varieties and rare kinds are sometimes grafted on seedlings of G. triacanthos in spring. ^CH The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.

Cultivation

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Propagation

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Pests and diseases

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Species

Read about Gledistia in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture
G. amorphoides, Taub. (Garugandra amorphoidea, Griaeb.). Tree, to 50 ft,, very spiny: lfts. obliquely ovate to linear-oblong, ½ -l in. long: Be. in racemes: pod oblong, falcate, 3-4 in. long, 1 in. broad. ½ in. thick. Argentina, Bolivia. Cult, in Calif. — G. Hems!. Tree with large spines: ;fts. very oblique, oblong, crenate, leathery, shining: pod with coriaceous walls, 4-5 in. long. S. China. — G. caspica Desf. (G. horrida var. caspica, Schncid.). Allied to G. japonica. Lvs. pinnate with 12- 20 ovate, crenulate lfts to bipinnate with 6-8 pinnae: pod thin, pulpy, to 12 in. long.—G. ferox, Deaf. Allied to G. sinensis. Spines very .stout: lvs. 16-30-foliolate: lfts. oblong-ovate to oblong-lanceolate, crenate, ½ -l ½ in. long: pod to 10 in. long. China. Most plants cult, under this name seem to belong to G. japonica.—G. fontanesii, Spach (syn. G. macracantha).—G. heterophylla, Bunge. Allied to G. aquatica: lfts. obliquely obovate, pubescent below, ½ - ¾ in. long: pod oval, 2-3-seeded, slender- stalked, about 1 in. long. N. China. Probably quite hardy.—G. macrantha. Desf. Allied to G. sinensis. Spines and lfts. Generally larger: infl. paniculate; ovary pubescent; pod 4-6 in. long, ¾ in. broad, often almost cylindrical. China.-G. officinalis, Hemal. Allied to G. sinensis. Spiny tree, to 40 ft.: lfts. 12-20, obliquely elliptic to elliptic-oblong, arutish, to 3 ½ in. long: pod oblong, thick, falcate, 3-4 in. long and little over ½ in. broad. Cent. China.—G. texana, Sarg. Allied to G. triacanthos. lvs. 12-22- foliolate, often bipinnate: pod narrow-oblong, straight, 4-5 in. long. Texas. 8.8.13:627. Possibly hybrid of G. aquatica and G. triacanthos. ^CH The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.

Gallery

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References

Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture, by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963

External links

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