Gleditsia triacanthos var. inermis 'Sunburst'
Common name: 
Sunburst Thornless Honeylocust
Pronunciation: 
gle-DIT-si-a tri-a-KAN-thos in-ER-mis
Family: 
Fabaceae
Genus: 
Gleditsia
Type: 
Broadleaf
Native to (or naturalized in) Oregon: 
No
  • Deciduous tree, 30-70 ft (9-21 m), open, spreading crown, distinctive horizontal, zigzag branches.  Thornless.  Leaves golden on new growth changing to bright green, alternate, pinnately or bipinnately compound, 15-20 cm long, pubescent rachis.  Stems shining, smooth, and reddish to greenish-brown.  Fruitless.
  • Sun.  Fast growing.  Defoliates easily in response to temperature changes and drought.  The honeylocust pod gall midge deforms leaves in some areas.  In Corvallis, it seems more susceptible to this insect attack than the green-leaf cultivars.  Apparently susceptible to Nectria canker.  Received the Award of Garden Merit by the Royal Horticultural Society council in 1993.
  • Hardy to USDA Zone 3   Introduced in 1957, very popular cultivar.
Click image to enlarge
  • plant habit, spring

    plant habit, spring

  • plant habit, spring

    plant habit, spring

  • branches, spring

    branches, spring

  • young leaves, early May

    young leaves, early May

  • foliage, comparison, late May

    foliage, comparison, late May

  • leaves, late May

    leaves, late May