Water Locust
Gleditsia aquatica
Family: Fabaceae or Leguminosae
What it is like
Gleditsia aquatica is a deciduous Tree growing to 12 m (39ft 4in) at a slow rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 6. It is in leaf from June to October, in flower from July to August, and the seeds ripen from October to December. 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. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist or wet soil. It can tolerate atmospheric pollution.
Height (m): 12
Where it is found
Rich lands of river valleys that are subject to inundation, often for a considerable part of the year.
South-eastern N. America - N. Carolina to Florida, west to Texas, Indiana and Arkansas.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 0
Medicine
Rating: 0
Other
Rating: 3
Having an extensive root system, it is planted for stabilizing wet banks and marshes. Wood - heavy, very hard, strong, durable in contact with the soil, coarse-grained. It weighs 46lb per cubic foot. The wood is extremely durable and is used primarily for making fence posts.
Soil stabilization: Plants that can be grown in places such as sand dunes in order to prevent erosion by wind, water or other agents.
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
Easily grown in a loamy soil, requiring a sunny position. Succeeds in most soils. Tolerates atmospheric pollution. Rather tender when young, it grows best in S. Britain. A slow-growing tree, it is growing well at the Hillier Arboretum in Hampshire where a tree was 7 metres tall and 8 metres wide in 1993. 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.
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 Secondary; Sunny Edge; Bog Garden;
Habit: Tree
Hardiness: 5-9
Growth: Slow
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: No shade
Moisture: Moist, wet