Plant library · Ornamental & Flowering Trees
Cladrastis kentukea
Yellowwood is a native ornamental tree that brings fragrant, white, wisteria-like flowers to the garden in late spring and early summer. At about 40 feet tall and wide, it belongs where its rounded canopy can become a lasting part of the plan rather than a tight fit between buildings or small beds. Its smooth gray bark and broad shade presence give it structure beyond the bloom season.
Use yellowwood as a single canopy tree in a lawn, at the outer edge of a large planting area, or near a patio that can benefit from seasonal shade without crowding the trunk zone. Keep it well back from roofs, overhead lines, narrow side yards, and high-traffic corners. Place lower plantings outside the future canopy area or design them to accept increasing shade as the tree matures.
Plant yellowwoods 30 feet apart, center to center, when repeating them in an open landscape. A mature canopy can reach about 40 feet across, so that spacing allows the trees to read as a connected grove over time rather than isolated specimens. For a single tree, reserve a broad circle of open sky and avoid placing permanent structures or large shrubs where spreading branches will need room.
Give yellowwood full sun and moderate moisture, with well-drained soil. A site that holds standing water is not a good fit. Once established, it can handle some dry conditions, but regular moisture during establishment helps it settle into its allotted space without competing heavily with nearby new plantings.[1]
Flowering falls from late spring into early summer, making yellowwood useful behind earlier-flowering beds or beside seating areas that are used in May and June. Plan the blooms as an occasional highlight rather than an annual guarantee: the showiest flowering may come in alternate years. Leave visual room around the canopy so the hanging flower clusters can be seen from a path, terrace, or lawn.
Choose a sheltered position rather than an exposed, wind-swept edge of the property. Branches can be brittle and vulnerable to damage from strong winds, snow, or ice, so keep the mature canopy clear of driveways, play areas, and other places where falling limbs would create a problem. Schedule pruning for summer rather than late winter or spring.[1][2]
Editorial content updated 2026-07-20.