Cladrastis kentukea

American Yellowwood is an attractive, medium sized, deciduous tree native to North America. The bark is smooth and grey, like American Beech. The foliage is pinnately compound with an attractive rounded crown. The leaves change from a yellowish green in the spring, to a bright green in the summer, then to golden yellow in the fall. A profusion of fragrant white flowers appears in the spring and cascade spectacularly from the foliage. Individual plants may only bloom once every 2-3 years and may not start blooming until they are 8-10 years old.

This is an excellent ornamental shade tree and specimen plant. Works well in urban or residential areas. This tree is low maintenance and easy to grow. Adapted across a wide range of soil pH, it prefers a reasonably moist, yet well‑drained soil with full sun and space to grow.

Its roots were chipped and boiled to yield a yellow dye for homespun fabrics before synthetic dyes became available hence the common name, "Yellowwood".