Get to know this plant.
Identification clue 1
Small leaflets on compound leaves
Identification clue 2
Some leaves twice-compound
Identification clue 3
Wild types can have branched thorns
Read the leaves
Leaves can be once- or twice-compound on one tree. The small oval leaflets have very fine marginal teeth; use a hand lens because the edges may look smooth at first.
More growing details
Read the bark
Mature bark develops elongated scaly ridges.
Fruit & seed
Wild and female trees can bear long twisted pods; Skyline is selected for male, usually podless growth.
Winter character
Fine twigs and small buds need provenance for a cultivar claim; lack of thorns alone is insufficient.
Origin & place
Honeylocust is North American, but its native limits in NC are uncertain. Skyline is a cultivated selection, not evidence of a wild local population.
Compare with Kentucky coffeetree
Coffeetree has much larger twice-compound leaves and coarser twigs.
WNC Notes
Light shade and urban tolerance; select thornless, mostly podless named cultivars.
Sun Exposure
Full sun
MATURE HEIGHT (FT)
35–50
MATURE WIDTH (FT)
30–40
BLOOM SEASON
Late spring
BLOOM COLOR
Greenish
FALL / WINTER COLOR
Yellow
Wet-Soil Tolerance
High
Drought Tolerance
Low