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Honeylocust vs Black Locust

These species are superficially similar and easily confused, especially as both have thorns. Black locust prefers drier, more nutrient poor habitats, whereas honey locust is more restricted to moister, nutrient-rich sites.

Honeylocust (Gleditsia triacanthos)

Black Locust (Robinia pseudoacacia)

A nitrogen-fixing tree native to North America, having expanded its range in nearly all directions due to human intervention.

References & External Resources

These short lists show only links helpful for ID. For a complete list of references and resources also covering other aspects of ecology, visit the links section of the full article on each plant, which is the first entry here.

Honeylocust (Gleditsia triacanthos)

Black Locust (Robinia pseudoacacia)

Gleditsia triacanthos | Go Botany (About This Site)

Robinia pseudoacacia | Go Botany (About This Site)

Gleditsia triacanthos (Honey Locust) | Illinois Wildflowers (About This Site)

Robinia pseudoacacia (Black Locust) | Illinois Wildflowers (About This Site)

Honeylocust | Virginia Tech Dendrology Factsheets (About This Site)

Black Locust | Virginia Tech Dendrology Factsheets (About This Site)

Gleditsia triacanthos | Biota of North America Project (BONAP) (About This Site)

Robinia pseudoacacia | Biota of North America Project (BONAP) (About This Site)