Cladrastis kentukea

American yellowwood ( Cladrastis kentukea )

The American yellowwood ( Cladrastis kentukea, Syn: Cladrastis lutea) is a tree species in the genus Cladrastis in the subfamily of the Fabaceae ( Faboideae ).

Description

The American Yellow Wood is a deciduous, typically 10 to 15 feet tall-growing tree with rounded, arched crown. In exceptional cases, it may reach a height of over 25 meters. Its bark is smooth, has a gray color resembling the bark of beech. The bright yellow color of the wood is the cause of the German name.

The three to five inches long stalked leaves are alternate, pinnate and a total of up to 30 inches long. The seven to nine, in exceptional cases, only five or up to eleven leaflets are short-stalked, three to seven inches wide and up to six inches long. They are entire, and are not exactly on the main ridge opposite. The underside is lightly to densely hairy. The fall color is a brilliant yellow to orange.

The fragrant flowers hang in number in 25 to 30 centimeters long racemes. The petals are white, rarely reddish. The American Yellowwood flowers from June to August in its area of ​​origin but only irregularly every three to five years.

The fruits are six to ten inches long sleeves. In it are somewhat constricted two to six seeds.

Dissemination

Originally the American yellowwood was only in the eastern part of North America, from Virginia to Georgia about widespread. Today, the tree is increasingly being grown in Europe as a street and park tree. He prefers to grow on calcareous, fresh, profound soil and tolerates shade.

Use

From his yellowish wood, a textile dye can be extracted. The wood itself is used in small quantities for special furniture, gunstocks and decorative turnery.

Pictures

Detail of a leaf

Flowers