yellowwood - Cladrastis kentukea

Common Name: yellowwood

Scientific Name: 
Family: Fabaceae
Genus: Cladrastis
Species: kentukea

Hardiness Zone: 4 to 8
Height: 30 to 50 ft
Width: 40 to 55 ft

Description: The yellowwood is a tree with few known disease or insect problems. Though not native to Minnesota, it has been shown to be a hardy tree here and would make a great landscape addition. The flowers are quite showy and beautiful and the foliage is a dense dark green that turns a startling yellow in the fall. Yellowwood is named for its unique yellow interior wood. One concern for this tree is its brittle branches and potential poor branch unions, causing higher risk of damage from snow and ice.