“…Yellowwood could be considered one of the rarest trees in the eastern USA.”– Fun Facts
Cladrastis kentukea, young tree (Merritt, 2006)
Cladrastis kentuckea was first described as Sophora kentukea by Dumont (1811), then Virgilia lutea by Michaux (1813). The genus was changed to Cladrastis by Karl Koch (1869). Rudd (1971) combined the first species name with the modern accepted genus, producing the name Cladrastis kentuckea that we use now.
Yellowwood can be confused with Honey Locust (Gleditsia triacanthos) as both have compound leaves and clusters of white or yellow papilionaceous flowers. However, Honey Locust leaflets are 0.3 – 1.1 inches long, even in number and the leaf ends in a bristle instead of a leaflet (paripinnate) (Guala, 2000) whereas Yellowwood leaflets are 1.5 inches and much longer, odd in number, and end in the largest leaflet (imparipinnate) (Keeler, 1900). Furthermore, Yellowwood flowers are larger, white and showy whereas Honey Locust flowers are small, inconspicuous, and yellowish.
Yellowwood is named for its yellow-colored heartwood that was used as a source of yellow dye (Chen, 2017).
Due to its spotty distribution and narrow habitat requirements, Yellowwood could be considered one of the rarest trees in the eastern USA.
Native
Introduced
Yellowwood usually grows on moist slopes, most often near streams or other consistent water sources. It produces large numbers of flowers every other year, providing a food source for insects, birds, and other animals (Chen, 2017).
Yellowwood is listed as secure overall, but its spotty distribution has led to its classification as critically imperiled in five states, imperiled in two and vulnerable in four (NatureServe, 2022).
