The Temperate Database is in the process of being updated, with new records being added and old ones being checked and brought up to date where necessary. This record has not yet been checked and updated.

Common Name:

General Information

Gleditsia sinensis is a deciduous tree that can grow 12 - 15 metres tall. The trunk and branches are armed with often branched, terete spines that can be 4cm or more long[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials, It is cultivated, especially in China and India, for its various uses[, ].

Known Hazards

The plant contains potentially toxic compounds[].

Botanical References

, ,

Range

E. Asia - China.

Habitat

Dry valleys in W. China, 1000 - 1600 metres[]. Along valley streams or on level land[]. Mountain slopes, forests, valleys, near roads at elevations of 200 - 2500 metres[].

Properties

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

Cultivation Details

Gleditsia sinensis is very cold-hardy, with older trees being able to tolerate temperatures down to around -25°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[]. Tolerates drought once established[] and atmospheric pollution[].
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.
A tree growing at Cambridge Botanical Gardens, England (hardiness zone 7) was 13 metres tall in 1985[].
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 seed is roasted, dehusked, soaked until soft then boiled and eaten with sugar[].
The dark purplish brown, scarcely curved seedpods are 12 - 25cm long and 20 - 30mm wide[].

Young leaves - cooked. A famine food used when all else fails[].

Medicinal

Gleditsia sinensis and closely related species are widely used in traditional Chinese medicine. All parts of the plant are used, but perhaps the most important are the spines found on the trunk and branches[].
The spines are said to be antiinflammatory, antimicrobial, antipruritic, antitumor and cardioprotective[176. 1471]. They are used in the treatment of cancer, acute purulent inflammation, dermatopathies and tonsillitis[, ].
Dried and powdered, the spines are used in the treatment of swellings, especially on the breasts. Either as a powder or in decoction, they are used as a mouthwash for treating abscesses and as a wash for treating ulcers and skin diseases in general[, ].
The spines should not be used by pregnant women since they have a stimulant effect upon the uterus and could induce a miscarriage[, ].

A decoction of the leaves is used for washing sores[], including syphilitic skin diseases[, ].

The stem bark is anthelmintic and febrifuge[, ].
The root bark is anthelmintic and antifebrile[, ].

The fruit is antibacterial, antifungal, antitussive, astringent, depurative, diuretic, emetic, expectorant, haemostatic, purgative and stimulant[, , , , ]. It is used in the treatment of bronchial asthma with sticky phlegm, epilepsy and apoplexy with loss of consciousness[].
The seedpod is said to be bechic, depurative, emetic and purgative. It is used to treat flatulence, chronic dysentery, as well as intestinal and urinary obstructions, and prolapse of the rectum[].
Overdosage can cause poisoning of the entire body, haemolysis of the blood[].

The seed is emetic, expectorant, decongestant and purgative[, ]. They have been used in the treatment of cancer of the rectum[].


The plant has been used in the treatment of lockjaw, stroke, acute numbness of the throat and epilepsy, but the report does not make clear whether the seed or the thorns of the plant are used[]

Agroforestry Uses:

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

The pulp inside the seedpods is a source of saponins and is used as a soap substitute[, , , ]. The seed is used[].

The seedpod is a source of tannins[, ].

Wood - strong, durable, coarse-grained[]. Used for general construction[, ].

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.