The native yellowwood tree and its heart of gold for Ohio

The yellowwood tree is a rare and unique tree that will win you over with its brightly hued heartwood and showy flowers. It’s a plant you’ll want to add to your must-have list. 

Cladrastis kentukea, or yellowwood, is a small tree native to Kentucky and other states in the Southeast and Midwest, including Ohio, where it grows in isolated pockets. Hardy from zones 4-8, this gem performs well in average soil, medium pH, and full sun. This specimen or shade tree grows to 30-50 feet, provides nesting sites for songbirds, and is highly prized for its nectar and pollen. A deep root system allows shade-loving plants to grow beneath, giving it versatility.

This charming native was first discovered by eagle-eyed French botanist Andre Michaux in March of 1796 while scouting a bend in the Cumberland River in present-day Tennessee. He was so excited about the tree’s commercial potential due to the wood’s yellow tint, that he retrieved some seeds and brought them back to the Carolinas. (We know this because he promptly wrote the governor about his exhilarating find. Sadly, he most likely never saw the tree in full bloom since he died in Madagascar a few short years later.)

Yellowwood is the only Cladrastis species in North America but others are found in Japan and China. It’s a member of the Fabaceae family of legumes that includes peas, soybeans and chickpeas, but does not fix nitrogen. The pendulous flowers that cover the tree in May and June are reminiscent of sweet peas and can reach 15” long.

Reasons to grow this lovely tree are numerous. It offers four seasons of interest with a stunning fragrant floral display in the spring. This is followed in summer by a lush tree that displays an alternating leaf pattern, giving it a zig-zag look. Seed pods form in late summer before the leaves turn a vibrant yellow in the fall. Wintertime showcases the smooth grey beech-like bark and interesting silhouette.

Yellowwood does have its quirks. Its limbs tend to fork close to the ground, leaving it at risk of splitting in windy weather. This can be remedied by planting in a protected area or pruning regularly to eliminate weak branch forks. Even quirkier, it can only be trimmed in the summer because spring pruning causes the tree to ooze messy sap from the cuts, which squirrels love and homeowners hate. The blooms, while spectacular, only form every 2-3 years.

This tree’s forking habit makes it less viable for commercial growing, but because of the beautiful yellow-toned wood it is used in veneers, small furniture pieces, and gun stocks. In Appalachia, yellowwood bark was traditionally prized for creating yellow-hued dye.

Yellowwoods can be found in nurseries, mostly in smaller sizes because of the long tap roots. The native tree has white blooms, but the most common nursery-sold tree is a pink-blossomed cultivar known as Perkins Pink or Rosea.

If you’re one of those gardeners always looking for something out of the ordinary or to impress your neighbors, this may be your tree. You can provide shade for yourself and critters during a hot summer, furnish food and shelter for pollinators and songbirds, and do your part to promote the species. Not only will you enjoy the sound of songbirds, but that of your neighbors “oohing” and “ahhing!”