SafePlants

Yellowwood: A Multifaceted Name

The term "Yellowwood" can refer to several different plant species, each with unique characteristics and distributions.

Plant Species Called Yellowwood

• Afrocarpus spp.: A genus of conifers native to Africa.
• Cladrastis spp.: A genus of trees in the family Fabaceae (legume family).
• Cladrastis kentukea: Also known as the Kentucky Yellowwood or American Yellowwood, a species of Cladrastis native to the Southeastern United States.
• Podocarpus latifolius: Known as the broad-leaved yellowwood or real yellowwood. In Afrikaans, it's called Opregte-geelhout; in Northern Sotho, Mogbagba; in Xhosa, Umcheya; and in Zulu.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

The text identifies several species of trees known as Yellowwood, belonging to different genera (Afrocarpus, Cladrastis, and Podocarpus) and families (conifers, Fabaceae, and Podocarpaceae). Note the alternative nomenclature by local language.

Distribution and Habitat

• Cladrastis kentukea is native to the Southeastern United States.
• Podocarpus latifolius is found in South Africa, where it is a valued timber tree and the country's national tree.
• One reference indicates Yellowwood grows throughout Eastern Kentucky, and is most common along the Kentucky River palisades in the Bluegrass region.

Morphological Characteristics

• Cladrastis kentukea is described as a medium-growing, deciduous tree of the legume family, featuring a broad, rounded crown.
• It produces clusters of white and pink drooping flowers and has broad, flat leaves. The leaves are compound leaves pinnately compound with smooth margins singly compound leaflet not tapered to v-shaped point at both.

Noteworthy Characteristics

• The name "Yellowwood" comes from the muted to brilliant yellow color of the freshly cut heartwood.
• The wood is known to yield a yellow dye.
• The yellowwood is recognized as having one of the best flowering displays of flowering trees with its white and pink drooping flowers.