Description
Cladrastis – Yellowwood –
There are about 5 species of deciduous trees, in this genus.They occur in woodland and on lime stone cliffs in China, Japan and Eastern USA.They are grown for their early summer borne terminal, erect or pendent panicles of fragrant pea like white or pinkish flowers and colorful autumn foliage.Flowers are followed by flattened pods, each containing a a row of small, hard seeds.The light to mid green leaves are alternate and pinnate to 12″ long with fine hairs on the undersids of the 4″ long leaflets.They make fine specimen trees.
Grow in fertile, well drained soil in full sun, shelter from strong winds, since the wood is brittle.
C. lutea – C. kentukea – American Yellowwood – This spreading to rounded crown tree found from North Carolina to Alabama and Missouri grows 40-60′ feet tall and 30-40′ feet wide in the wild in cultivation 30′ feet tall is more common.It can have a 3′ feet diameter trunk.It produces bright, light green leaves, to 12″ long, composed of 5-11 ovate or obovate, prominent veined leaflets that turn clear yellow in autumn.In late spring and early summer it bears pendent, 12″ long panicles of fragrant, wisteria like, 1″ long, white, yellow marked flowers, usually only every second year.Flowers are followed by narrow 3″ long, brown seed pods.
‘Rosea’ has pink tinged flowers
Zones 4-9
