honey locust
• noun
A deciduous leguminous tree (Gleditsia triacanthos) of the family Fabaceae, native to central and eastern North America, characterized by pinnately compound leaves, prominent branched thorns along the trunk and branches, and long, twisted reddish-brown pods filled with sweet pulp.
"The city arborist planted a thornless variety of honey locust along the avenue to provide filtered shade for pedestrians."
The small, fragrant, greenish-yellow blossom of the honey locust tree (Gleditsia triacanthos), borne in dense, drooping axillary racemes or spikes in late spring that attract numerous pollinators.
"Honeybees swarmed around the pale greenish-yellow honey locust blossoms to gather nectar in late May."
The hard, heavy, coarse-grained, durable reddish-brown timber of the honey locust tree, valued for fence posts, railroad ties, furniture, and general construction.
"The cabinetmaker selected seasoned honey locust for the workbench top because of its exceptional density and rot resistance."
Word Nuance & Usage
Often confused with the black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia); while both are leguminous trees bearing seed pods, the honey locust is distinguished by its large, branched trunk thorns, smaller greenish-yellow flower racemes, and sweet-pulp pods, whereas the black locust has short paired stipular spines and showy, fragrant white flower clusters.
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Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.