Common Name: Caspian Locust

General Information

Gleditsia caspica is a deciduous tree with a dense, spherical top; it usually grows 9 - 12 metres tall. The trunk is excessively armed with formidable, branching, slightly flattened spines, 15cm or more long[].
The tree is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and source of materials. It is sometimes grown as a barrier hedge and living fence.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

W. Asia - Iran (around the Caspian Sea), Azerbaijan

Habitat

Broad-leaved forests in the low montane belt[]. Found solitary or in groups in lowland woods, on dry soils typical of temperate dry woodland and thicket on sandy and rocky slopes, and swamp forests[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Tree
Height	12.00 m
Growth Rate	Medium
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

Gleditsia caspica requires a hot summer if it is to thrive. It is fairly cold-hardy, with older trees being able to tolerate temperatures down to around -20°c when fully dormant. The tree has a habit though, especially when young, of producing new growth until quite late in the season. Especially in areas where the summers are not hot, this new growth will not ripen fully and will be liable to be cut back by the cold in the winter. Older plants tend to lose this habit. Generally, the plant should be considered to only be hardy to about -5°c when young, especially if growing in areas with cooler summers[].
Easily grown in a loamy soil, requiring a sunny position[]. Succeeds in most soils[] including sandy ones[]. Established plants tolerate drought[] and atmospheric pollution[].
This species is often confused in cultivation with the closely related Gleditsia sinensis, many of the trees grown under that name are acturally this species[].
This tree is remarkable for the number and length of the spines growing on its trunk, which makes it one of the most formidably armed of temperate trees[].
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[].

Edible Uses

The pulp contained in the seedpod is used as a food[].
The blackish-brown, scimitar-shaped seedpods are usually about 20 - 25cm long, 25 - 30mm wide, containing several oval-shaped, cinnamon-coloured seeds 8 - 10mm long[, ].

The roasted seeds are used as a coffee substitute[]

Medicinal

None known

Agroforestry Uses:

The plant is used in hedges, its spiny stems forming a formidable barrier[].
When planted close together and severely pruned, most Gleditsia species form good windbreaks and hedges. With their usually very spiny trunks and branches, the hedge becomes an effective barrier, and with its ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen, it also enriches the soil[, ].

Other Uses

A dye solution is prepared from the bark and leaves to obtain yellow and pink color. The dye is used for dyeing wool yarn as well as products made of wool[].

The seeds are used as beads[].

The closely related Gleditsia sinensis has a saponaceous pulp inside the seed pod that can be used as a soap substitute[]. It is quite probable that this species can be similarly used[].

The wood is hard, strong, durable, coarse-grained[, ]. It is used in joinery and turnery for making different utensils, household and economic items[].

Propagation

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.