Honeylocust
Gleditsia triacanthos
Family: Fabaceae
Natural History
Foliage of honeylocust | Photo credit: Chris Evans, Illinois Wildlife Action Plan, Bugwood.org
The honeylocust is a long-lived legume species that can grow to be more than 100 feet tall. The tree is unusual, because it can have both pinnately compound and bipinnately compound leaves on the same tree.
The fruits are large, flattened legumes that dry to be almost black. Perhaps the most striking features of the tree are the large, sharp thorns that can form clusters along the trunk and branches. The thorns presumably protect the young trees from grazing herbivores.