Species specifics: Honeylocust

Fast facts

A challenging to control tree via mechanical methods due to its ability to develop quick growing shoots and saplings from stumps or roots
Mature trees are easily recognized by aggressive thorns that can be over 8 inches long – sometimes branched or clustered
Seed pods offer an energy source that livestock and wildlife readily consume once dropped from the tree in fall and winter

What to look for

Honeylocust (Gleditsia triacanthos) is a deciduous, fast-growing, aggressive, thorny legume tree that can grow more than 80 feet tall.

Similar in appearance to black locust, the bark of a honeylocust is grayish-brown and furrowed with long, scaly ridges. Leaves are oval, 6 to 8 inches long and alternate along the stem. Branches of a honeylocust feature aggressive, sometimes branched or clustered thorns that can be up to 8 inches long. A young honeylocust tree grows quickly, often exceeding 2 feet of growth annually.

The tree produces white, fragrant flowers that appear from May to June. The flowers give way to long, spiraled seed pods in late summer – first emerging as green and then turning reddish-brown as they mature. Wildlife and livestock both readily consume the high-energy seeds when dropped in autumn and winter, which causes no harm to the animals but contributes to the spread of the tree, as the seeds can survive digestion.

Honeylocust spreads rapidly from seeds or by sprouts from its root system, quickly outcompeting native vegetation and forming dense thickets if left uncontrolled. Invasive spreads commonly show up in grazing pastures that have been out of rotation for a period or along fence lines.

Where it is found

Except for Oregon and Washington, honeylocust can be found throughout the United States, with the greatest density in the central Great Plains and Midwest. It can withstand both prolonged moisture and drought, which is why it is commonly found in upland areas along river drainages.

How to treat it

When cut, honeylocust can produce abundant new sprouts from buds around the trunk and along the root system, which can turn into dense thickets that outcompete other favorable forages. Because of this, it’s important to kill the stump.

For foliar applications, apply DuraCor® herbicide at 16 to 20 fluid ounces per acre with Remedy^® Ultra herbicide at 16 to 32 fluid ounces per acre, along with a non-ionic surfactant 0.25% volume/volume in late spring through summer when leaves have fully expanded.

For basal and cut-stump applications, use Remedy^® Ultra herbicide at 20 – 30% volume/volume in basal oil. Spray the outer portion of the cut surface, the sides of the stump to the soil line and any exposed roots.

This same herbicide-plus-oil mix can also be used for low-volume basal applications to treat locust — and most other woody species — with trunks smaller than 6 inches in diameter at the base of the tree.

You can make these treatments any time of the year, including winter months, as long as snow or standing water doesn’t prevent proper application. Late winter and early spring applications often provide optimum control.

Under normal field conditions DuraCor® is non-volatile. DuraCor has no grazing or haying restrictions for any class of livestock, including lactating dairy cows, horses (including lactating mares) and meat animals prior to slaughter. Label precautions apply to forage treated with DuraCor to manure and urine from animals that have consumed treated forage. DuraCor is not registered for sale or use in all states. Contact your state pesticide regulatory agency to determine if a product is registered for sale or use in your state. Always read and follow label directions. When using Remedy® Ultra, always read and follow label directions.