Taxonomy

Division:

Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants

Family:

Fabaceae

Genus:

Gleditsia

Species:

Gleditsia aquatica

USDA Symbol:

GLAQ

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:

Perennial

Growth Habit:

Shrub , Tree

Height:

1800 cm

Light Requirements:

Full Sun

Drought Tolerance:

Low

Bloom Months:

apr,may,jun

Bloom Colors:

green

Keystone Species Ranking

Caterpillar Keystone:

★★★★☆ Butterfly & moth species supported by this genus (NWF)

Garden & Ecology Notes

Wildlife Value:

birds, small mammals

Deer Resistant:

Yes

Fall Color:

yellow

Fire Ecology:

Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire

Fire Notes:

Can resprout from root crown following fire damage. Thick bark provides some fire resistance on mature trees.

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:

rich, moist, alluvial clay or loam

pH:

5.5 - 7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral)

Drainage:

tolerates poor drainage

Moisture:

consistently moist

Notes:

commonly found in floodplains and swamps

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:

Cold/moist stratification required — 60–90 days

Scarification:

Seed coat scarification required before sowing

Germination Time:

14–42 days

Notes:

Scarification of hard seed coat required before cold stratification. Hot water treatment or mechanical scarification effective.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI