Cladrastis kentukea
Yellowwood
If you’re looking for a native tree that provides flowers in the spring, shade in the summer, and striking yellow-orange fall foliage, look no further than yellowwood. And its appeal isn’t just for humans — songbirds love to nest in yellowwood, and bees and other pollinators are drawn to its high-quality nectar and pollen. Yellowwood can grow up to 45 feet tall, and nearly as wide. It takes about eight years for the tree to have its first bloom, and the tree doesn’t bloom every year. When it does, the intensely fragrant, showy white flowers are in clusters up to 15 inches long, eventually developing into flat pods about four inches long. The Cherokee used yellowwood for structures and for carving, as its heartwood is strikingly, (you guessed it) yellow! The root bark can also be used to produce a yellow dye. Like redbud and locust trees, yellowwood is a member of the pea family.
Planted by Friends of Silvermont in honor of Earth Day 2024
Photo credits:
- Yellowwood, Jim Robbins, CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
- Leaves, David J. Stang, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Flowers, Agnieszka Kwiecień, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Fruit, David J. Stang, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Fall foliage, Agnieszka Kwiecień, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Bark, Kristine Paulus, CC BY 2.0
