water locust
Gleditsia aquatica · Fabaceae
water locust (Gleditsia aquatica) is a perennial tree in the Fabaceae family. It is native to North America. USDA records it as hardy in zone 9 and warmer, down to about 27°F.
At a glance
| Type | tree Derived |
|---|---|
| Lifecycle | perennial USDA |
| Native status | native USDA |
| Mature height | 40 ft USDA |
| Light | part-shade USDA |
| Growth rate | moderate USDA |
| Soil pH | 6–8 USDA |
| Bloom | July USDA |
| Flower color | Green USDA |
| Hardiness zones | 9 and warmer USDA |
| Guild layer | canopy Derived |
USDA quoted from the USDA PLANTS database · Derived computed by a fixed rule from those columns. No value on this page is estimated.
Growing conditions
It grows in partial shade. Its drought tolerance is rated none — it needs reliable moisture. It is recorded on soils from pH 6 to 8 — a broad range that spans acidic through mildly alkaline ground. Its cold limit is zone 9.
Size and growth
At maturity it reaches about 40 ft, making it a substantial woody plant. It grows at a moderate rate.
Bloom period
USDA records a bloom period of July. Flowers are green.
A flowering date, not a pollinator rating.
Foliage, flower and season
Summer foliage is green, fine in texture. Its flowers are not conspicuous — a plant for form and foliage. Its active growth period is spring. USDA rates its lifespan as long.
What the site needs to provide
USDA records it across sites receiving 16 to 68 inches of annual precipitation. It needs at least 207 frost-free days to finish its season. It roots to at least 36 inches.
Propagating it
Seed is the only propagation method USDA lists. Division and cuttings are not listed as options. USDA records no cold-stratification requirement, so seed should germinate without a chilling period. Its seed spreads at a slow rate. It spreads vegetatively at a slow rate.
Resilience and wildlife
Browsing animals find it moderately palatable, so expect deer and rabbits to take an interest. Its fire tolerance is rated low. Its growth form is recorded as single stem.
Role in a guild
Canopy. In a layered planting this is the tallest layer of a planting — it sets the light budget everything beneath it lives on. The layer is derived by a fixed rule from growth habit and mature height.
Tags
Related plants
Others in Gleditsia
- honeylocust Gleditsia triacanthos
Similar role and hardiness
- Puerto Rico palmetto Sabal causiarum
- tamarind Tamarindus indica
Where this data comes from
Every value on this page comes from the USDA PLANTS database record for symbol GLAQ, or is computed from those values by a fixed rule. Nothing here is estimated or model-generated. Where USDA publishes no value, this page omits the claim rather than filling the gap.
- Quoted from USDA PLANTS: active growth period, Bloom, Bloom end, browse palatability, cold stratification, Drought tolerance, fall conspicuous, fire tolerance, Flower color, flower conspicuous, foliage color, foliage porosity winter, foliage texture, frost free days min, fruit conspicuous, growth form, Growth rate, Hardiness zones, Lifecycle, lifespan, Light, Mature height, Minimum temperature, Native status, Nitrogen fixation, precipitation max in, precipitation min in, propagation, resprout ability, root depth in, seed spread rate, Soil pH, Soil pH (upper), Tolerance of wet soil, Toxicity, vegetative spread rate.
- Derived by a fixed rule from those columns: Guild layer, Type.
Read our full data sources and methodology.
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