About
Small-green-white flowers are produced in summer and if it has been a long hot summer, long, twisted brown seed pods follow in autumn. A large, elegant, deciduous tree to a height of 30m or more. The trunk and stems are spiny - some of these spines are up to 15cm long. The leaves are made up of many oval-shaped tiny, dark green leaflets, which turn yellow in autumn.
About the genus
Gleditsia are deciduous trees with elegant, pinnate or bipinnate foliage, often on spiny branches, inconspicuous flowers followed by large flattened seed-pods
Growing conditions
SunlightFull sun
Soil typeSand, Loam, Clay, Chalk
Soil pHNeutral, Acid, Alkaline
Soil moistureWell-drained
AspectWest-facing, South-facing, North-facing, East-facing
ExposureExposed, Sheltered
UK hardinessH6
Plant details
Plant typeTrees
HabitSpreading branched
FoliageDeciduous
HeightHigher than 12 metres
Spreadwider than 8 metres
Time to full height20-50 years
Suggested usesArchitectural, Cottage and informal garden
Care notes
CultivationGrows well in any well-drained soil, although especailly good on dry acidic soil, once established. Very tolerant of industrial pollution. For more information, see tree cultivation
PruningPruning group 1
PropagationPropagate by sowing seed in autumn in a cold frame, or by whip and tongue grafting in late winter
Pest resistanceMay be susceptible to gall midge
Disease resistanceMay be susceptible to honey fungus