How-to Guide
How to Grow Honey Locust
The short answer
Honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos) is a large, adaptable, deciduous shade tree, and the landscape form to plant is the thornless variety, var. inermis. Its lacy, compound foliage casts light, dappled shade, and it tolerates a wide range of tough urban conditions.
Buy only thornless, podless named cultivars. Many cultivars of the inermis variety are sold that lack both the branched thorns and the seedpods of the wild tree, such as 'Shademaster', 'Skyline', 'Moraine', and 'Sunburst'; the straight species has dangerous thorns and heavy pod litter you do not want.
The filtered shade is the selling point: it is light enough that grass grows underneath, which is why honey locust is popular for lawns and patios. Just choose a fruitless cultivar, because the falling seedpods on non-podless trees are genuinely messy.
Only plant thornless, podless cultivars
The wild honey locust is armed with large, branched thorns on its trunk and limbs and produces long, twisting seedpods, neither of which belongs in a home landscape. The tree you actually plant is the thornless variety, Gleditsia triacanthos var. inermis, and its named cultivars. The NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox notes that many cultivars of this variety are sold in commerce that typically do not have thorns and many times do not have seedpods.
So the buying rule is specific: choose a named, thornless, fruitless cultivar rather than a generic or seed-grown tree. NC State lists fruitless selections including 'Skyline', 'Moraine', 'Emerald Kascade', and the yellow-leaved 'Sunburst'. Shopping by cultivar name is how you guarantee you get both the thornlessness and the podlessness, since a seedling could revert to thorns.
Filtered shade you can grow grass under
Honey locust's signature feature is its light quality. The foliage is finely divided into many small leaflets, and the NC State toolbox notes this flowering tree casts light shade allowing grass to be planted underneath. That makes it one of the few large shade trees under which a lawn will still thrive, which is a real advantage for a yard.
That open, filtered canopy makes honey locust a good fit for lawns, patios, play areas, and street plantings where you want cooling shade without the deep gloom that kills grass. The small leaflets also break down quickly in fall rather than needing heavy raking, adding to its low-maintenance reputation.
Pod litter and the fruitless fix
The main litter complaint is the seedpods. On honey locusts that are not podless selections, the tree produces long pods, and the NC State toolbox is plain that the falling fruits can be messy. A single mature podding tree can drop a large volume of pods that then need cleanup off lawns and pavement.
The fix is entirely a purchasing decision: selecting a fruitless (podless) cultivar eliminates this concern, as NC State notes. If you already have a podding honey locust, the pods themselves are harmless and can be raked and composted; if you are planting a new one, buy a named fruitless cultivar and you will not have to deal with them at all.
Sources
Reviewed 2026-07-18. We cite university Extension, government, and established horticultural sources — and never invent pesticide rates or dangerous treatments.
- NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox - Gleditsia triacanthos var. inermis (Thornless Honey Locust) — Many cultivars of this variety are sold in commerce and typically do not have thorns and many times do not have seedpods; fruitless selections include 'Skyline', 'Moraine', 'Emerald Kascade', and 'Sunburst'; the tree casts light shade allowing grass to be planted underneath; the falling fruits can be messy, and selecting a fruitless cultivar eliminates this concern; it reaches 30 to 40 feet tall and 25 to 40 feet wide.