# Kentucky Yellowwood (*cladrastis kentukea*)

The Kentucky Yellowwood is a beautiful tree that can grow very tall and has gorgeous yellow flowers in the spring! Kids will love to see its unique, smooth bark and the way it provides shade in the summer.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger
- **Snaps:** 1
- **Habitat:** It typically grows in forests and along riverbanks in the eastern United States.
- **Also known as:** Cladrastis, Kentucky Yellowwood Tree, Yellowwood

![Kentucky Yellowwood](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Cladrastis_kentukea_1b_UME.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Ulf Eliasson, CC BY 2.5 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cladrastis_kentukea_1b_UME.jpg)

## Appearance

The Kentucky Yellowwood is a medium-sized tree known for its remarkably smooth, silvery-gray bark, which stays smooth even on mature trunks. In late spring, it boasts pendulous clusters of fragrant white, pea-like flowers. Its bright green compound leaves turn a brilliant golden-yellow in autumn.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Fabales
- **Family:** Fabaceae
- **Genus:** Cladrastis

## Interesting facts

- Did you know its scientific name "Cladrastis" means "fragile branch"?
- Its heartwood is bright yellow, giving the tree its common name!
- The fragrant white flowers hang in long, beautiful clusters like wisteria!
- Unlike many trees, its bark stays super smooth, even when old!

## Special abilities

- **Smooth Defender:** Kentucky Yellowwood has exceptionally smooth bark that helps deter climbing insects and resist certain bark-boring pests.
- **Sunshine Power:** Kentucky Yellowwood can grow beautiful, fragrant white flowers that produce nectar, attracting many different insect pollinators.
- **Color Changer:** Kentucky Yellowwood has leaves that transform to a vivid golden yellow in fall, providing a spectacular seasonal display.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 1000-1500 cm
- **Spread:** 900-1200 cm
- **Flower Size:** 2-3 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Late spring to early summer
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** European honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — collects nectar and pollen
- **Pollinates:** [Common Eastern bumble bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-eastern-bumble-bee) (*Bombus impatiens*) — feeds on flower nectar
- **Eaten by:** [White-tailed deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-tailed-deer) (*Odocoileus virginianus*) — browses young leaves and twigs

## Traits

- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material.
- [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life.
- [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night.
- [Pollinator](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator): Describes organisms that transfer pollen, enabling the fertilization and reproduction of plants.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger

No special safety notes yet.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Kentucky Yellowwood?

Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Kentucky Yellowwood?

1000-1500 cm

### How wide does Kentucky Yellowwood spread?

900-1200 cm

### How big are the flowers on Kentucky Yellowwood?

2-3 cm

### When does Kentucky Yellowwood bloom?

Late spring to early summer

### Is Kentucky Yellowwood edible?

No

### Is Kentucky Yellowwood toxic?

None

### What is Kentucky Yellowwood's lifecycle?

Perennial

## Where to spot

- [Central Springfield Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/central-springfield-historic-district) — Illinois, US · Historic District
- [Clarence H. Clark Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/clarence-h-clark-park) — Pennsylvania, US · Park

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Kentucky Yellowwood: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/kentucky-yellowwood)