American Yellowwood, Cladrastis lutea

zone 4b / very rare and attracts pollinators.

Small tree rarely reaching more than 15 m in height and considered rare in its natural range in the USA. The Yellowwood is very pretty with its rounded and irregular shape. Its bark is gray and smooth. The white flowers are hanging panicles 20 to 40 centimeters long and give off a nice fragrant smell. The fruits are in the form of brown pods later in summer. Its leaves are composed of seven to nine alternate leaflets of a fairly light green while the autumn foliage is orange-yellow. It is a little-known tree and must be protected from strong winter winds. Our seedlings come from a beautiful tree growing in the Trois-Rivières region. It’s up to you to discover this magnificent species. Hardiness recommended for 4b and above.

attracks bees and very rare tree found occasionnaly Cladrastis kentukea, the Kentucky yellowwood or American yellowwood, is a specie of Cladrastis native to the Southeastern United States. Cladrastis kentukea is a small to medium-sized deciduous tree typically growing 10–15 metres (33–49 ft) tall, with a broad, rounded crown and smooth gray bark. The leaves are compound pinnate, 20-30 cm long, with 5-11 (mostly 7-9) alternately arranged leaflets.The flowers are fragrant, white, produced in Wisteria-like racemes 15-30 cm long. Flowering is in early summer (June in its native region), and is variable from year to year, with heavy flowering every second or third year. The fruit is a pod 5-8 cm long, containing 2-6 seeds.

One of the rarest trees of eastern North America. Found principally on the limestone cliffs of Kentucky, Tennessee and North Carolina, but it is hardy at the north. Cladrastis kentukea is widely grown as an ornamental tree for its attractive flowers, and is locally naturalized in many areas of the eastern United States outside of its restricted native range. It thrives in full sunlight and in well-drained soil, tolerates high pH soils as well as acid situations. The Yellowwood can withstand urban settings and is attractive to birds. Kentucky Yellowwood is recommended as one of the best medium sized trees for cultivation as an ornamental plant in gardens. The only quality that is mentioned is a tendency of the trunk to divide very near the ground, as a multi-trunked tree. The name yellowwood derives from its yellow heartwood, used in small amounts for specialist furniture, gunstocks and decorative woodturning. Suitable for zone 4a.