OF THE CAROLINAS & GEORGIA

Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Rosids: Fabids: Fabales

WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Cladrastis kentukea   FAMILY Fabaceae   Go to FSUS key



SYNONYMOUS WITH PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Cladrastis kentukea   FAMILY Fabaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)

Cladrastis kentukea

SYNONYMOUS WITH Native & naturalized Leguminosae (Fabaceae) of the US (Isely, 1998)

Cladrastis lutea

SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 098-08-001:

Cladrastis lutea   FAMILY Fabaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)

Cladrastis lutea

 

COMMON NAME:
Kentucky Yellowwood, Gopherwood


         To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.

image of Cladrastis kentukea, Kentucky Yellowwood, Gopherwood

Manual of the Trees of North America (Exclusive of Mexico) (Sargent, 1905)    mtna_i_651

        

image of Cladrastis kentukea, Kentucky Yellowwood, Gopherwood

USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913    pnd_cllu_001_lvd

        

image of Cladrastis kentukea, Kentucky Yellowwood, Gopherwood

USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / US Forest Service    pnd_cllu_003_lvd

        

image of Cladrastis kentukea, Kentucky Yellowwood, Gopherwood

JK Marlow    jkm160422_055

April    Sevier County    TN

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

image of Cladrastis kentukea, Kentucky Yellowwood, Gopherwood

Richard and Teresa Ware    rtw_cladrastis_kentukea_3

April        

Bark smooth, light brown to gray, somewhat resembling American beech, per Native Trees of the Southeast, An Identification Guide (Kirkman, Brown, & Leopold, 2007).

image of Cladrastis kentukea, Kentucky Yellowwood, Gopherwood

JK Marlow    jkm0305r_20

May    Haywood County    NC

Corneille Bryan Native Garden

image of Cladrastis kentukea, Kentucky Yellowwood, Gopherwood

Richard and Teresa Ware    rtw_c_kentukea_5_14_06_1

May        

image of Cladrastis kentukea, Kentucky Yellowwood, Gopherwood

Richard and Teresa Ware    rtw_cladrastis_kentukea_2

May        

A drooping 4-12" inflorescence of showy, fragrant flowers, per Native Trees of the Southeast, An Identification Guide (Kirkman, Brown, & Leopold, 2007).

image of Cladrastis kentukea, Kentucky Yellowwood, Gopherwood

Ron Lance    rwl333_a

May        

Flowers heavily in alternate years, per Native Trees of the Southeast, An Identification Guide (Kirkman, Brown, & Leopold, 2007).

image of Cladrastis kentukea, Kentucky Yellowwood, Gopherwood

JK Marlow    jkm060701_001

July    Spartanburg County    SC

Wofford College

image of Cladrastis kentukea, Kentucky Yellowwood, Gopherwood

JK Marlow    s060701_c

July    Spartanburg County    SC

Wofford College

Leaves with 7 to 11 leaflets arranged alternately along rachis, per Woody Plants of the Blue Ridge (Lance).


click here to see other plants that look similar to this COMPARE pinnately compound leaves of trees

image of Cladrastis kentukea, Kentucky Yellowwood, Gopherwood

JK Marlow    s060701_d

July    Spartanburg County    SC

Wofford College

Fruit a thin, flattened legume similar to that of redbud, per Native Trees of the Southeast, An Identification Guide (Kirkman, Brown, & Leopold, 2007).

image of Cladrastis kentukea, Kentucky Yellowwood, Gopherwood

JK Marlow    s060701_fg

July    Spartanburg County    SC

Wofford College

image of Cladrastis kentukea, Kentucky Yellowwood, Gopherwood

JK Marlow    jkm140814_578

August    Greenville County    SC

Swamp Rabbit Trail

Several Yellowwood trees are planted on Greenville's popular rail-to-trail.

image of Cladrastis kentukea, Kentucky Yellowwood, Gopherwood

JK Marlow    jkm140814_580

August    Greenville County    SC

In cultivation

image of Cladrastis kentukea, Kentucky Yellowwood, Gopherwood

JK Marlow    jkm140814_581

August    Greenville County    SC

In cultivation

Petioles are enlarged at base and summit, per Native Trees of the Southeast, An Identification Guide (Kirkman, Brown, & Leopold, 2007).

image of Cladrastis kentukea, Kentucky Yellowwood, Gopherwood

Richard and Teresa Ware    rtw_c_kentukea_12_10_05_1

December    Fulton County    GA

Chattahoochee Nature Center

image of Cladrastis kentukea, Kentucky Yellowwood, Gopherwood

Richard and Teresa Ware    rtw_c_kentukeax_121005_5

December    Fulton County    GA

Chattahoochee Nature Center

Buds enclosed within hollow base of petiole, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).

 

 

WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Cladrastis kentukea   FAMILY Fabaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Cladrastis kentukea   FAMILY Fabaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Cladrastis kentukea

SYNONYMOUS WITH Native & naturalized Leguminosae (Fabaceae) of the US (Isely, 1998)
Cladrastis lutea

SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 098-08-001:
Cladrastis lutea   FAMILY Fabaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Cladrastis lutea

 

Find by SCIENTIFIC NAME:

333

Tree
Perennial

Habitat: Mountain forests, Piedmont bluffs, especially on calcareous or mafic rocks (introduced only in the Piedmont of NC), per Weakley's Flora

Native to the Carolinas & Georgia

Rare or waif(s)

map
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.

LEAVES:
Deciduous
Odd-pinnately compound: (5)7-9(11) leaflets
Alternate

FLOWER:
Spring
White
Bilaterally symmetrical
5-lobed calyx
5-parted papilionaceous corolla
10 stamens
Superior ovary

FRUIT:
Summer
Legume

 

TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!



 


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