American Yellowwood

Cladrastis kentukea

wide branching yellowwood with drooping white flowers
“Cladstrastis kentukea (American yellowwood, Yellowwood, Yellow-wood)” by Plant Image Library, via Flickr. (cropped from original) CC BY-SA 2.0.
close up of the cream flowers of the yellowwood
“Cladstrastis kentukea (American yellowwood, Yellowwood, Yellow-wood)” by Plant Image Library, via Flickr. (cropped from original) CC BY-SA 2.0.

Ecological Benefits: attracts various pollinators, provides habitat and food for animals in winter

Season of Interest: late spring, early-mid fall

Best Areas for Planting: moist, well-drained limestone soils, full sun

Natural Habitat: can be found in river valleys, slopes, and ridges

Most of the species information is from The Virginia Native Plant Society website, which offers free, extensive pdfs for each region of Virginia, highlighting about 100 native species (there are many more!) and helpful additional information for planning personal projects. If you aren’t from Virginia, you can search for similar resources in your state! To explore other resources and advice, navigate to the guidance page.

Visit the homepage to explore other sites and learn more about native plants.