Making It Grow: Shademaster Honey Locust Trees

  Hello Gardeners, I’m Amanda McNulty with Clemson Extension and Making It Grow. Since we southerners are so interested in family names, let’s examine the history of the name for SHADEMASTER honey LOCUST Gleditsia triacanthos var. inermis 'Shademaster' . The genus name, Gleditsia, honors the German botanist of the 18th century named Gottlieb Gleditsch. Now the fun begins – triacanthos means “three spines” referring to the spines that grow out of the trunks of most honeylocust trees. Variety means a subspecies that originated in nature and the seedlings of which are usually true to type – are like the parent..  Inermis means “unarmed” and clues us in on the fact that this variety of honeylocust does not have those dreadful looking and dangerous spines that make it dangerous to plant around children. Shademaster is the name that was given to this particular honeylocust as it provides what is described as soft, dappled shade that allows turfgrass to grow underneath it.