Honeylocust (Gleditsia triacanthos)

Honeylocust is a domestic hardwood

Location

The wood of honeylocust (Gleditsia triacanthos) has many desirable qualities, such as attractive figure and color, hardness, and strength, but it is little used because of its scarcity. Although the natural range of honeylocust has been extended by planting, this species is found most commonly in the eastern United States, except for New England and the South Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plains.

Characteristics

Sapwood is generally wide and yellowish, in contrast to the light red to reddish-brown heartwood. The wood is very heavy, very hard, strong in bending, stiff, resistant to shock, and durable when in contact with the ground.

Primary Uses

When available, honeylocust is primarily used locally for fence posts and general construction. It is occasionally used with other species in lumber for pallets and crating.

*Much of the base wood information presented here is made available by the USDA FPL FS. If you are interested in a much more technical description of wood properties, I encourage you to visit the source.