Caspian Locust
 

Mature Size, Growth, Longevity

15-20' tall & wide in 10 years, finally 30-40' tall & 20-40' wide. Habit is single-trunked, irregular, sprawling or rounded to upright-spreading. . Medium to fast growth rate.

Native Range

Native to western Asia, Caucasus region of Azerbaijan & northern Iraq, near Caspian Sea.

Flower and Fruit Details

The non-showy, yellowish/greenish hermaphrodite flowers are perfect, w/ both male & female parts, in racemes to 4" across, blooming April-May, & pollinated by insects. Flowers inconspicuous, but fragrant. Fruit: a legume pod, 8" long & 1.2" wide, green, changing to brown at maturity. Seeds ripen September/October. The seeds, as large as lima beans, may have use as an edible crop, but further research is needed.

Leaf and Bark Features

Deciduous: The alternate leaves are pinnately or bi-pinnately compound, to 10" long, w/ 12-20 leaflets, each to 2" long & 3/4" wide. Trees have a light canopy, leafing out late in the spring & dropping their leaves early in the fall. Fall color variable, but usually a shade of yellow. The trunk & larger branches are nearly totally covered with a high density of branched spines or thorns, each 4-8 inches long. Thorns are much more abundant than those on the related Common Honeylocust, so it has been called "the spikiest tree".

Culture and Care

Tolerates clay, sand and loam, but prefers a well-drained site. Tolerates acid, neutral or alkaline soil. Needs full sun. Does not tolerate wet, poorly-drained, shaded sites. Tolerates drought and air pollution/urban conditions. Deer-resistant. Zone 6-9. Does well in soil pH from 6.1-7.8. Various insects and diseases may attack this species. Resistant to verticillium wilt and honey fungus.

Strengths, Weaknesses, Other Facts

This leguminous tree can fix atmospheric nitrogen in root nodules. The light-textured, fine foliage of leaflets allows filtered sunlight, allowing good turfgrass growth beneath. 3-season interest: Spring, summer & fall. The large seedpods can be a maintenance problem. Closely related to Gleditsia japonica. Pulp inside the seed pod has been used for soap making. The high number of long, spiny thorns make this the most formidably armed of all temperate trees.

Suggested Uses

Used for xeriscaping, woodland gardens, rock gardens, specimen plant or barrier plant.

Taxa and Plants of this Species at BCA