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Cladrastis lutea

Common name:	Yellow Wood	Family:	Leguminosae
Author:	(F.Michx.)K.Koch.	Botanical references:	11, 43, 200
Synonyms:	Virgilia lutea (Michx.), Cladrastis tinctoria (Raf.)
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	South-eastern N. America - Appalachian mountains, mainly in North Carolina and Tennessee.
Habitat:	Woods in rich well-drained limestone soils, in river valleys, slopes, ridges and the borders of streams[229].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	0	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	0

Other Possible Synonyms:	From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below.
	C. kentukea[B,G,H,P] Sophora kentukea[B,G,P]
Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	American Yellowwood [H], Kentucky Yellowwood [P], Kentucky-yellow-wood [B], Yellowwood [DEN1],
Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	lutea = yellow;
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Fabales. Renamed to Fabaceae -- Pea family

Physical Characteristics

A decidious tree growing to 15m by 8m at a slow rate. It is hardy to zone 3 and is frost tender. It is in flower in June, and the seeds ripen in September. The scented flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects. It can fix Nitrogen. We rate it 0/5 for edibility and 0/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils and can grow in very alkaline soil. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires moist soil.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Woodland, Canopy.

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

None known

Other Uses

Dye; Fuel; Wood.

A clear yellow dye is obtained from the heartwood[46, 61, 82].
Wood - relatively heavy, very hard, strong, close grained, durable and takes a beautiful polish[11, 46, 61, 82, 229]. It weighs 39lb per cubic foot[235] and is a good fuel[82].

Cultivation details

Prefers a rich well-drained loamy soil in a very sunny position[11, 200]. Tolerates slightly acid to very alkaline soils[200].
A very ornamental plant[1], when dormant it is hardy to -30°c or lower[200]. However, plants can be excited into early spring growth in the mild climate of Britain and that growth is very susceptible to frost damage[200].
A slow-growing but moderately long-lived tree in the wild[229].
The branches are brittle and can be broken off in strong winds[188, 200].
The plants contain a copious watery sap and can bleed profusely if they are pruned in winter or spring[82, 200]. Any pruning is best done in late summer[200].
This species often only flowers in alternate years in the wild[82]. The flowers are produced most freely after a long hot summer[200]. The flowers have a soft scent of vanilla[245].
This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[200].

Propagation

Seed - can be sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame[78]. Stored seed should be pre-soaked for 24 hours in warm water and then sown in a greenhouse in late winter[78, 164, 200]. Three months cold stratification at 5°c can reduce the germination time[200]. Germination usually takes place within 1 - 3 months at 10°c[164]. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the cold frame for at least their first winter. Plant them out in late spring or early summer after the last expected frosts.
Root cuttings, 5 - 7cm long, December in a greenhouse. Good percentage[78].

Scent

Flowers: Fresh: The flowers have a sweet scent of vanilla.

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

[H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[P] Data. (uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

References for Cladrastis kentukea (a possible synonym).

[H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
[B] Data (Latin & Common names, other references) from the BONAP's Synonymized Checklist of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
[P] Data. (uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.
[DEN] Data _ Photos (Good Identification info) from the Virginia Tech's Dendrology Deptarments' Tree Fact Sheets.

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.

[43] Fernald. M. L. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co. 1950
A bit dated but good and concise flora of the eastern part of N. America.

[46] Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.

[61] Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974 ISBN 0094579202
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.

[78] Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948
A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.

[82] Sargent. C. S. Manual of the Trees of N. America. Dover Publications Inc. New York. 1965 ISBN 0-486-20278-X
Two volumes, a comprehensive listing of N. American trees though a bit out of date now. Good details on habitats, some details on plant uses. Not really for the casual reader.

[164] Bird. R. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 4. Thompson and Morgan. 1990
Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation. A good article on Yuccas, one on Sagebrush (Artemesia spp) and another on Chaerophyllum bulbosum.

[188] Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990 ISBN 0-86318-386-7
Excellent range of photographs, some cultivation details but very little information on plant uses.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[229] Elias. T. The Complete Trees of N. America. Field Guide and Natural History. Van Nostrand Reinhold Co. 1980 ISBN 0442238622
A very good concise guide. Gives habitats, good descriptions, maps showing distribution and a few of the uses. It also includes the many shrubs that occasionally reach tree proportions.

[235] Britton. N. L. Brown. A. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada Dover Publications. New York. 1970 ISBN 0-486-22642-5
Reprint of a 1913 Flora, but still a very useful book.

[245] Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8
An excellent, comprehensive book on scented plants giving a few other plant uses and brief cultivation details. There are no illustrations.

Readers Comments

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Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
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We make no claims of magical effects or supernatural powers for any item in this catalog. In spite of legendary attributes or occult and craft tradition, such items are offered as curios only and beliefs concerning their magical effectiveness are related only for historical interest.