Tree Categories: Fall Color Trees, Flowering Trees, Ornamental Trees, and Shade Trees
Mature Tree Height: 40-60 feet tall | Mature Tree Width: 30+ feet wide
Tree Growing Zones: Zone 4, Zone 5, Zone 6, Zone 7, and Zone 8
The Kentucky Yellowwood (Cladrastis kentukea) is a medium-sized shade tree with three seasons of fine ornamental features. It has an open, broadly-rounded crown with spreading branches that have an upward growth habit. In the spring, the leaves emerge as a green with a yellow hue and mature to bright green in the summer before showing off a golden-yellow display in the fall.
In late spring and early summer, large clusters of wonderfully white flowers hang down from the branches in cascading form giving off a strong and pleasant fragrance. This floral show is perhaps so special because it may only bloom once every 2-3 years. This tree also provides interest in the winter season with its smooth gray bark resembling a beech tree’s trunk. \n \nThe Kentucky Yellowwood is native from North Carolina over to Kentucky and Tennessee. It is highly valued in landscaping for its fantastic floral display, attractive foliage, nice fall color, pleasant and interesting bark, and resistance to pests and disease. It is of low maintenance and can fit nicely in almost any yard, garden, or park. It also has wildlife value as it gives off high quality pollen and nectar for pollinators. It will grow in full to partial sun and a variety of soil types but prefers moist, well-drained soils.
