Good call A.L. and Tom! It is Gleditsia triacanthos, Honey Locust. This is the native tree that normally has large, stout, branched spines all over the trunk. This tree had them, but they were up higher on the trunk. In Indiana it grows in forested bottomlands, but is not very common in the northern third of the state. The unarmed cultivar of this tree (var. inermis) is used extensively in landscaping, especially where large leaves would be a problem on sidewalks, etc.
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Can you identify this tree just by the bark? Feel free to name the tree or just take a guess! Photographed in central Indiana.
10 comments:
looks like a rather shaggy and spineless Gleditsia triacanthos to me!
We have several of the unarmed variety in our yard (they were there when we moved in), and I'd like to point out that their tiny leaflets are probably even more messy than the larger leaves of other trees would be. Personally, I don't care for it as a landscape tree.
Oh, yes, and there's a theme to these comments judging by our profile pictures... you have to be wearing a brimmed hat to comment!!
Brimmed hats are only for the most cool and awesome of botanists, Scott! We have spineless honey locusts at my parents house but cut them down last summer due to their roots coming to the surface and snaking across the ground. Our soil type is hard-packed clay with just a smidgen of topsoil. On my recommendation we replanted the yard with Burr Oaks; they'll take a while to get big but are MUCH better than locusts any day in my book!
Oh man, Scott, I got a nice laugh out of your wide-brimmed hat comment.......!
I've noticed that all the botanical greats also wear flannel- Reznicek, Walters, Gardner, Boone, I've got pictures of them all together in flannel.
Tom
OK, here's a geezer hat so I guess I'm qualified to comment. I agree the cultivar of Honey Locust is a very unattractive tree, for a variety of reasons. The wild native tree, however, is impressive and even awe inspiring when densely covered with the stout, branched spines. Regarding brimmed hats, they're just about the best defense against deer flies! And they're so cool, but then only the coolest people are botanists anyway!
Scott, the funny thing about your profile picture is the miniature botanist on your shoulder, taking a picture.
I wish I could carry Justin around on my shoulder to help me figure out those Dichanthelium!
Hello! Wanted to let you all know that I've nominated you for a Versatile Blogger Award. Thanks for being awesome! http://tinyurl.com/7455xhs
Hey Jenny! On behalf of everyone at GYBO, thanks very much for the Virtual Blogger Award! Very kind of you!!!
Keith
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