Locust
Gleditsia sinensis
Family: Fabaceae or Leguminosae
What it is like
Bloom Color: Yellow. Main Bloom Time: Early spring, Late spring, Mid spring. Form: Irregular or sprawling, Rounded.
Gleditsia sinensis is a deciduous Tree growing to 12 m (39ft 4in) at a medium rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 5. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects. It can fix Nitrogen. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought. It can tolerate atmospheric pollution.
Height (m): 12
Where it is found
Dry valleys in W. China, 1000 - 1600 metres. Along valley streams or on level land.
E. Asia - China.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 3
The seed is roasted, dehusked, soaked until soft then boiled and eaten with sugar. Young leaves - cooked. A famine food used when all else fails.
Seed: includes nuts, cereals, peas and beans.
Medicine
Rating: 3
A decoction of the leaves is used for washing sores, including syphilitic skin diseases. The stem bark is anthelmintic and febrifuge. The fruit is antibacterial, antifungal, antitussive, astringent, emetic, expectorant, haemostatic and stimulant. It is used in the treatment of bronchial asthma with sticky phlegm, epilepsy and apoplexy with loss of consciousness. Overdosage can cause poisoning of the entire body, haemolysis of the blood. The seed is emetic, expectorant, decongestant and purgative. They have been used in the treatment of cancer of the rectum. The root bark is anthelmintic and antifebrile. The thorns on the plant are antipruritic. They are used in the treatment of acute purulent inflammation, dermatopathies and tonsillitis. They should not be used by pregnant women. The plant has been used in the treatment of lockjaw, stroke, acute numbness of the throat and epilepsy, but the report does not make clear whether the seed or the thorns of the plant are used
Anthelmintic: Expels parasites from the gut.
Antibacterial: Kills bacteria.
Antifungal: An agent that inhibits or destroys fungi. Used in the treatment of various fungal problems such as candida.
Antipruritic: Treats itching of the skin.
Antitussive: Prevents or relieves coughing.
Astringent: Produces contraction in living tissue, reducing the flow of secretions and discharges of blood, mucus, diarrhoea etc.
Emetic: Induces vomiting.
Epilepsy: Used in the treatment of Epilepsy - a disorder in which nerve cell activity in the brain is disturbed, causing seizures.
Expectorant: Clears phlegm from the chest by inducing coughing.
Febrifuge: Reduces fevers.
Haemostatic: Controls internal bleeding.
Laxative: Stimulates bowel movements in a fairly gentle manner.
Skin: Plants used in miscellaneous treatments for the skin.
Stimulant: Excites or quickens activity of the physiological processes. Faster acting than a tonic but differing from a narcotic in that it does not give a false sense of well-being.
VD: Used in the treatment of venereal disease
Other
Rating:
The pod is used as a soap substitute. The seed is used. Tannin is obtained from the seedpod. Wood - strong, durable, coarse-grained. Used for general construction.
Soap: Plants used directly as a soap substitute.
Tannin: An astringent substance obtaied from plants, it is used medicinally, as a dye and mordant, stabilizer in pesticide etc.
Wood: A list of the trees and shrubs that are noted for having useful wood.
Nitrogen Fixer: Plants that fix nitrogen in the soil
How it is grown
Landscape Uses:Border, Rock garden, Specimen. Easily grown in a loamy soil, requiring a sunny position. Succeeds in most soils. Tolerates drought once established and atmospheric pollution. Rather tender when young, it grows best in S. Britain. A tree at Cambridge Botanical Gardens was 13 metres tall in 1985. Trees have a light canopy, they come into leaf late in the spring and drop their leaves in early autumn making them an excellent top storey tree in a woodland garden. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus. This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby. Special Features:Not North American native, Fragrant flowers, Inconspicuous flowers or blooms.
Propagating it: Seed - pre-soak for 24 hours in warm water and then sow in spring in a greenhouse. The seed should have swollen up, in which case it can be sown, if it has not swollen then soak it for another 24 hours in warm water. If this does not work then file away some of the seed coat but be careful not to damage the embryo. Further soaking should then cause the seed to swell. One it has swollen, the seed should germinate within 2 - 4 weeks at 20°c. As soon as they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual deep pots and plant them out into their permanent positions in the summer. Give the plants some protection from the cold for their first few winters outdoors.
Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Canopy;
Habit: Tree
Hardiness: 8-9
Growth: Medium
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: No shade
Moisture: Dry, moist
Things to keep in mind
The plant contains potentially toxic compounds.