Gleditsia x texana - Texas Honey Locust, Thornless Honey Locust

The Gleditsia x texana, commonly known as hybrid American honey locust, is a deciduous tree of beautiful stature, with few thorns, notable for its light branching. It stands out for its elegant foliage, light, finely cut, and its beautiful autumnal coloration. Tolerant of different types of soils and perfectly cold-resistant, this honey locust adapts to numerous climates. It is suitable for parks and large gardens.

The Gleditsia x texana belongs to the Fabaceae family. This natural hybrid is the result of a cross between Gleditsia triacanthos and G. aquatica. Native to lowlands near Brazoria, Texas, it was first observed in 1892 and introduced into cultivation in 1900. Growing moderately fast, it reaches a minimum height of 12 m with a spread of 4 to 6 m. This tree has an elegant port, a few scattered thorns on the branches and trunk, and unarmed leaves, meaning without thorns, unlike those of Gleditsia triacanthos. Its bark is smooth and pale. Its leaves, 10 to 20 cm long, are composed of 6 to 16 pairs of small oblong to oval-shaped leaflets, shiny dark green in summer. In autumn, they turn shades ranging from yellow to orange and red before falling. The flowers of the hybrid American honey locust, grouped in clusters of 7 to 10 cm, are dark orange-yellow. Its fruits, flat pods measuring 10 to 13 cm long, are dark chestnut brown and pulpless. They contain several small seeds. This hybrid adapts to different types of soils, including sandy, loamy, and clay soils.

The Gleditsia x texana is a versatile tree that can be used in various landscaping schemes. It is interesting for creating a focal point in large gardens and parks. It can be paired with Cercis canadensis 'Red Force' (Canadian redbud), with its pink spring flowers and purple foliage, Quercus palustris (Swamp oak), which adds its robust structure to the ensemble, Acer rubrum 'Armstrong Gold' (Red maple), for its flamboyant autumnal hues, and Liquidambar styraciflua 'Rotundiloba' (American sweetgum) with its beautifully coloured palmate leaves in autumn.