Shademaster Honeylocust

Filtered Summer Shade
Thornless Landscape Tree
Golden Fall Color

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#15 Container

$336.00

2 in stock

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Clear

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$336.00

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We guarantee that your plants and trees will arrive happy and healthy. If you’re not satisfied after receiving your trees and plants, we’ll replace them at no cost to you. Trees and plants are living organisms and require care, maintenance, and protection to survive, root in, and establish properly. Trees that do not survive despite receiving the proper care, maintenance, and protection within the first year will be considered for a one-time replacement. If you purchased plants outside of your growing zone recommendation, or have not properly cared for your new plants as described in your welcome letter, your purchase won’t be covered by our Grasshopper guarantee.
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Our local delivery area reaches as far north as Schroon Lake, south to Voorheesville, Glenmont, and East Greenbush areas, parts of Fulton and Montgomery counties, much of Washington County, and all areas in between. If you have questions on local delivery, give us a call at

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Shademaster Honeylocust

Sunlight
Can grow in a range from full sun to partial shade. They need at least six hours of direct, unfiltered sunlight per day.
Watering
Regular watering schedule for the first six months. Once established, rainwater should be sufficient.
Fertilizing
Should not need any extra fertilizer unless your entire lawn and garden have problems and needs regular fertilizing.

Shademaster Honeylocust

Shademaster Honeylocust is a thornless deciduous shade tree valued for fine green foliage, an open spreading canopy, filtered summer shade, and golden fall color. Its airy texture and adaptable nature make it a strong choice for lawns, streetscapes, parks, and larger residential landscapes.

Why choose Shademaster Honeylocust?

Choose Shademaster Honeylocust for a graceful shade tree that gives the landscape height and structure without creating deep, heavy shade. Its small leaflets create a light, dappled canopy, allowing more sunlight to reach turf and plantings below. This cultivar is commonly selected for its thornless branching, clean landscape appearance, and dependable performance in sunny open spaces. It is especially useful as a lawn tree, street tree, park tree, or shade tree where a refined, fast-establishing canopy is desired.

Key Characteristics

Botanical Name: Gleditsia triacanthos var. inermis ‘Shademaster’
Common Name: Shademaster Honeylocust
Plant Type: Deciduous shade tree
Growth Habit: Upright to spreading tree with an open, rounded canopy

Shademaster Honeylocust Additional Information

Shademaster Honeylocust is admired for its fine-textured compound leaves, which give the canopy a soft, airy look through the growing season. The foliage is medium green in summer and typically turns yellow to golden yellow in fall, adding a bright seasonal finish before the tiny leaflets drop. Its flowers are small and not showy, so the tree is grown primarily for shade, foliage texture, and landscape structure.

This thornless honeylocust works well in open lawns, along streets, in parks, and in large planting beds where filtered shade is preferred over dense shade. Its open canopy can make mowing and underplanting easier than with many heavier shade trees. Young trees benefit from structural pruning to encourage strong branch spacing and a balanced framework. Once established, Shademaster Honeylocust is adaptable to many landscape conditions, though it performs best with full sun, adequate rooting space, and well-drained soil.

Planting & Care

1. Planting: Plant Shademaster Honeylocust in full sun with well-drained soil and plenty of room for its mature canopy. Set the root flare at or slightly above the surrounding grade, then backfill with native soil and water thoroughly.

2. Watering: Water deeply and consistently during the first growing season to help the root system establish. Once established, provide supplemental water during extended dry periods, especially in hot, exposed, or compacted planting sites.

3. Mulching: Apply a 2 to 3 inch layer of mulch over the root zone to conserve moisture, reduce turf competition, and moderate soil temperature. Keep mulch pulled back from the trunk.

4. Pruning: Prune young trees during dormancy to develop a strong central framework and well-spaced branches. As the tree matures, remove damaged, crossing, or poorly placed limbs as needed.

Related Resources

FAQs

How large does Shademaster Honeylocust get?
Shademaster Honeylocust commonly matures into a medium to large shade tree, often reaching about 40 to 50 feet tall with a broad canopy around 30 to 40 feet wide, depending on site conditions.
What kind of shade does Shademaster Honeylocust provide?
It provides light, filtered shade rather than dense shade. The small leaflets and open canopy allow more sunlight to reach lawns, walkways, and nearby plantings beneath the tree.
Is Shademaster Honeylocust thornless?
Yes. Shademaster Honeylocust is a thornless selection, making it more landscape-friendly than wild honeylocust trees that can develop large thorns on trunks and branches.
What does Shademaster Honeylocust look like in fall?
The fine green foliage typically turns yellow to golden yellow in fall. Because the leaflets are small, they create a softer leaf drop compared with many broad-leaved shade trees.

Shipping Details

Estimated Shipping Time: Most orders ship immediately. As noted on the website, some items are seasonal, and may only ship in spring or fall. Once your order is shipped, you’ll receive an email with a tracking number.

Amount of Order	Shipping Charge
Local Delivery	FREE SHIPPING
Non-Local Delivery	Varies based on UPS shipping

Tall Growth
Full Sun
Plant Spacing

Mature Height	Large: Up to 30 ft or more
Mature Spread	20+ ft
Growth Rate	Fast
Botanical Name	Gleditsia triacanthos var. inermis 'Shademaster
Bloom Time	Late Spring, Early Summer
Deer Resistant	Usually
Flower Color	Non Flowering
Family	Fabaceae
Hardiness Zones	4, 5, 6, 7
Light Needs	Full Sun
Maintenance	Low
Size	#15 Container

Map of the United States with most states shaded green and boundary lines visible.

Growing Zones 4-9 Outdoors

(Hardy down to -30)

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