Yellowwood

Yellowwood (Cladrastis kentukea): A fussy yet fabulous small tree! Yellowwood features cascading panicles of white flowers in spring, making it an ideal accent or shade tree for smaller properties. Its neat growth habit and stunning blooms are worth the extra care it requires.

Characteristics

Average Landscape Height:

45 feet

Average Landscape Width:

45 feet

Growth Rate:

medium

Genus:

Cladrastis

Species:

lutea

Flower Color:

white

Flower Period:

from mid to late spring

Summer Foliage Color:

light green

Fall Color:

yellow

Minimum Light:

full sun

Maximum Light:

full sun

Minimum Moisture:

average

Maximum Moisture:

moist

Plant Form:

round

Canopy:

low

Pruning:

prune after flowering

Pollution Tolerance:

medium

Other Species Names:

American Yellowwood, C. kentukea, C. tinctoria

Branching:

decurrent

Density:

open

Flower Form:

pea

Flower Fragrance:

high

Ornamental Features

Yellowwood is blanketed in stunning panicles of fragrant white pea-like flowers hanging below the branches from mid to late spring. It has light green deciduous foliage which emerges chartreuse in spring. The compound leaves turn yellow in fall. The smooth silver bark adds an interesting dimension to the landscape.

Landscape Attributes

Yellowwood is an open deciduous tree with a more or less rounded form. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition.

Planting & Growing

Yellowwood will grow to be about 45 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 45 feet. It has a low canopy with a typical clearance of 5 feet from the ground, and should not be planted underneath power lines. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 70 years or more.

This tree should only be grown in full sunlight. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It is not particular as to soil type, but has a definite preference for alkaline soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution, and will benefit from being planted in a relatively sheltered location. This species is native to parts of North America.

Yellowwood

Characteristics

Ornamental Features

Landscape Attributes

Planting & Growing

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Yellowwood

Characteristics

Ornamental Features

Landscape Attributes

Planting & Growing

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