Fruit Description

• Honeylocust fruit is a shiny, dark reddish-brown and twisted pod between 10 and 18 inches long. The pod is flat and consists of yellow, sweet pulp and 10 to 20 hard, brown, oval-shaped seeds.
  
  

Fruiting Habits

• Honeylocust trees begin to produce fruit when they are approximately 10 years old and continue to bear fruit until they are about 100 years old. Flowers appear on the tree each June after the leaves are fully grown and mature into seed pods that ripen in the late autumn and persist on the tree into the winter. Although some seed is produced annually, fruit production sees an increase every other year.
  
  

Wildlife and Human Uses

• The sweet, fleshy honeylocust pod has been used by humans as a sweetener. Cattle, hogs, bison and sheep readily eat the fruits. Squirrels, rabbits, hares, deer, some birds and opossum also eat the seed pods. Wildlife disperses the seed, and seed germination is enhanced by passing through digestive tracts.
  
  

Propagation by Seed

• Honeylocust seed can remain viable for long periods, and seeds naturally become permeable at varying times to stagger germination over several years. In order to propagate honeylocust by seed with the greatest success, the seed must be treated in a manner that imitates the damage to the seed coat that would occur in an animal's digestive tract. Heat water to approximately 190 degrees Fahrenheit, put the seeds in the hot water and remove them once they begin to swell. Alternatively, rub the seeds with sandpaper or a file.
  
  

Fruitless Varieties

• In urban or home landscape situations, the fruit of the honeylocust may be considered unsightly and messy. Luckily, there are several fruitless varieties of honeylocust. "Moraine" has no thorns or fruits, a broad form and a golden fall color. "Sunburst" is a fruitless variety that features a pyramidal shape and golden leaves that mature to a bright green. Other fruitless varieties include "Cottage Green," "
  
  Halka," "Imperial," "Majestic" and "Skyline."