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. sinensis – Chinese Yellowwood – This rounded tree from China grows 50-70′ feet tall and 20-30′ feet wide. It produces mid green, softly hairy leaves, to 12″ long, gray tinged beneath, composed of 11-13 ovate to oval leaflets, turning bright yellow in autumn. In mid summer it bears fragrant, upright, pyramidal panicles of pink flushed, white flowers, ½” across. Flowers are seldom borne on immature trees.
Zones 5-9
