Yellowwood is a native tree with an open graceful, spreading crown with three seasons of interest. The hanging panicles of flowers in the spring become hanging yellow-brown fruits, and leaf color becomes yellow-orange in the fall. The smooth gray bark adds winter interest. The root system is deep, which makes transplanting difficult but allows shade-loving plants to grow underneath it. Yellowwood makes a great shade tree. Plant in average moist garden soil and protect from winter winds as branch damage may occur. Once established, it is drought tolerant. Corrective pruning is often necessary to eliminate weak branch forks. Prune only in summer to prevent bleeding. Plant this shade tree in a recreational play area or children's garden, in a meadow or woodland. It makes an excellent specimen for a winter garden or a wildlife garden as this tree not only provides nesting sites for songbirds. but high-quality pollen and nectar that attracts bees and other pollinators. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Verticillium wilt may occur. Limbs break easily from wind and snow. Late frosts can damage blooms. VIDEO created by Andy Pulte for “Landscape Plant Identification, Taxonomy and Morphology” a plant identification course offered by the Department of Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
24-60 feet
NC region
Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 30 ft. 0 in. - 45 ft. 0 in. | Width: 40 ft. 0 in. - 45 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Slow
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
1 - Canopy (>40 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Broad; Erect; Rounded; Spreading; Vase
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Obovate; Ovate
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf size
> 6 inches long
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
This tree has 8-12 inches long pinnately compound leaves. Each branch has 7-9 leaflets. The leaves have a yellow/ orange fall color.
Fall color
Gold/Yellow; Orange
Flower color
White
Flower value
Fragrant; Showy
Flower form
Panicle
Flower shape
Lipped
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Up to 12 inch long panicles of white, fragrant, pendulous, blooms in late spring or early summer and often blooms only every 2-3 years. Individual flowers are about 1 inch and pea-like in shape. Blooms from April to May.
Bloom time
Spring; Summer
Fruit color
Brown/Copper; Gold/Yellow; Green
Fruit type
Legume
Fruit value
Showy
Fruit size
> 3 inches long
Fruit detail
2.5-4 inch long flat yellow-brown seed pods. Displays from July to August.
Bark color
Light Gray
Bark detail
On old trees, trunk bark is light gray and pebbly, while on young trees it is light gray and smooth. The bark adds winter interest.
Stem detail
Twigs are light gray or brown and covered with scattered white lenticels.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
Eastern North America
Distribution
AL , AR , CT , GA , IL , IN , KY , LA , MA , ME , MO , MS , NC , NY , OH , OK , PA , RI , SC , TN
Wildlife value
Attracts songbirds for nesting sites and nectar and pollen attracts bees and other pollinators.
Attracts
Bees; Pollinators; Songbirds
Play value
Fragrance; Shade; Wildlife Food Source
Food & Medicine
Harvest time
Summer
Fruit type
Legume
Uses (ethnobotany)
This wood was used by the Cherokee for carving as well as building structures.
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Meadow; Naturalized Area; Patio; Recreational Play Area; Woodland