Wood Species Guide
Honey Locust
Gleditsia triacanthos
Also called: Honeylocust, Thorny Locust, Sweet Locust, Honeyshuck
What Honey Locust looks like
Heartwood is a light reddish brown to rich medium red-brown, and the wide sapwood is pale yellow. The contrast between the two can be striking in slabs.
Grain and texture
Straight to slightly irregular with a coarse texture and open pores, similar in look to ash or black locust.
Working Honey Locust: planing, cutting and gluing
Hard but workable with power tools. Irregular grain can tear out, so take light passes. It glues and finishes well. Pre-drill screw holes.
Finishing Honey Locust: oil, film finishes and epoxy
Takes oil and clear finishes nicely and darkens a little with age. Seal the open pores before a full epoxy pour.
Durability, stability and Florida humidity
Moderately durable, but not in the same class as black locust for ground contact. Stability is good once dry. In Florida treat it as an indoor or covered-porch wood and finish all faces.
Shop notes from our Fort Myers shop
Honey locust is a widely planted city tree, so urban salvage slabs turn up. The red heart against bright sapwood makes an eye-catching live-edge bench or tabletop. It is hard enough for table use and machines better than you would expect. We don't stock it, but ask us and we can often source it.
Common uses for Honey Locust
Furniture, live-edge tables, fence posts, pallets, turned objects, and general construction.
Sustainability and CITES status
Not listed in the CITES Appendices or on the IUCN Red List.
Safety and toxicity
- No common reactions reported
Few reactions are reported beyond normal wood dust irritation. Watch for the large thorns on bark-on pieces.
- In the shop
- Dust collection and a mask when sanding
- Food contact
- Use with care for cutting boards, bowls and utensils
General information, not medical advice. See a doctor if you have a reaction.
No reactions beyond the normal risks of wood dust are widely reported. Use dust collection and a mask.
Honey Locust in stock now
Ask us. We can often source it.
We don't have Honey Locust listed online right now, but new slabs and lumber come in all the time and not everything makes it to the website. Tell us what you're building and we'll check our racks and suppliers.
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