Yellowwood
Cladrastis kentukea (Cladrastis lutea). FABACEAE (LEGUMINOSAE)
Planting and Growing Yellowwood
You’ll find everything you need to know to plant and grow yellowwood in the accompanying table’s tabs:
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- Flowers, foliage, pods and seed of yellowwood
- Growing conditions for yellowwood
- When to plant yellowwood
- How to plant yellowwood
- How to prune yellowwood
- Watering, fertilizing, and care of yellowwood
- Landscape uses of yellowwood
- Pest and disease control for yellowwood
Growing Yellowwood
A few cultivars of slow-growing, upright, round-crowned, open, deciduous trees, to 50 ft. (15 m) tall, with frondlike, yellow turning green leaves, to 1 ft. (30 cm) long.
Yellowwood’s leaves are divided into dangling, 1–7-offset, walnutlike, oval leaflets, to 4 in. (10 cm) long, turning yellow in autumn, and it has charcoal gray, smooth becoming furrowed bark.
Yellowwood Planting and Care Guide
Flowers and Fruit
Many showy, fragrant, wisteria-like, pink, white flowers, to 1 in. (25 mm) long, borne in dangling clusters, to 16 in. (40 cm) long, in early summer on mature trees, form brown, beanlike pods, 4 in. (10 cm) long, containing smooth seed, in autumn.
Best Climates
U.S.D.A. Plant Hardiness Zones 4–8. Best with winter chill, summer heat.
Soil Type and Fertility
Moist, well-drained soil. Fertility: Average–low. 6.5–7.5 pH.
Where and How to Plant
Full to filtered sun. Space 15–20 ft. (4.5–6 m) apart.
Proper Care
Moderate. Allow soil surface to dry between waterings until established. Prune in summer. Propagate by cuttings, seed.
About This Species
Good choice for accents, containers in small-space gardens. Pest and disease resistant.