Silver Maple vs Thornless Honeylocust
Acer saccharinum
Gleditsia triacanthos inermis
Silver Maple is a fast-growing, large deciduous tree that typically has a short trunk and sharply branched crown.
Silver Maple bears red flowers in early spring and beautiful five lobed, deeply notched green and silver leaves that turn yellow in the fall. This versatile and attractive shade tree requires a large yard.
Silver Maple is often used to make syrup instead of Sugar Maple in colder areas where Sugar Maple sap does not sweeten very well (like the Canadian prairies).
Thornless Honey Locust makes an excellent shade tree with its lacy foliage and dappled shade. The leaves are honey-yellow, light and airy, providing interesting color and texture to your landscape. This variety is thornless, and the seeds and pods provide food for wildlife such as deer and squirrels.
The Thornless Honey Locust is tolerant of drought, various soil conditions, and even road salt.