Yellowwood

Basic Information

Tree ID:

Family:

Genus and species:

Description:

This yellowwood tree is found on the hill leading down to Marsh Botanical Gardens. Yellowwood is a medium sized (about 30 to 50 feet tall) tree that is native to North America. The tree is famous for its beautiful white flowers in late spring, early summer and yellow foliages in the fall. However, the tree is not found easily in the wild, and most wild yellowood population exists near limestone cliffs in the Midwest states like Kentucky, Tennessee, and North Carolina.

Surveyors:

Seojin Park

Location

Area:

Marsh and Farnam Gardens

Collected Data

Tree shape:

Vase

Date of tree entry:

04/12/2014

Height:

9.10 m

Diameter at breast height:

1.13 m

Bark

This specific tree has a very rugged and uneven surface, with parts that protrude out in circular shapes. However, other images of the tree show quite smooth surface.

Twigs & branches

This tree's trunk separates into three parts, and branches spread out from those three "big" branches. The tree, in general, branches out quite extensively.

Foilage

About four inches long. Slim and round in the middle and taper into pointed end. In the fall, leaves turn yellow and then fall off for the winter.

Reproductive Structures

Yellowwood has mildly fragrant, white flowers that bloom in clusters (like wisteria).

Fruit

Yellowwood produces green or brown legumes that contain about 5 seeds.

Seasons

Yellowwood - Summer
Yellowwood - Fall
Yellowwood - Winter
Yellowwood - Spring
Summer

Research

Natural range of distribution:

Habitat:

The habitat map shows that yellowwood population is largely limited to the right half of the nation. The tree is found more easily in Kentucky, Tennessee, and North Carolina.

Origin, history, and uses:

Yellowwood originated from Southeastern and lower Midwest United States, and they are naturally found near rivers and limestone cliffs.

Yellowwood is used mostly as a garden tree because it can tolerate tough conditions like high pH level and has beautiful flowers and foliage. However, because the flowers bloom abundantly once in every few years, yellowwood is not planted in gardens as much as it deserves to be.

Tennessee, one of the states from which yellowwood originates, named the tree as the state’s bicentennial tree in 1991.

Phenology:

Yellowwood flowers bloom in the spring, their leaves turn yellow in the fall, and leaves fall in the winter.

References:

Photos:

http://www.plantplaces.com/photos/CladrastiskentuckeaYellowwood.JPG

http://www.meridian.k12.il.us/Middle%20School/student_work/colby/yelloww…

http://caseytrees.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Yellowwood-form-in-spri…

http://www.middlebury.edu/about/campus/campusmap/locations/trees/node/28…

http://www.thetreefarm.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/thumbnail/9df78…

https://www.extension.iastate.edu/NR/rdonlyres/B12F0CDF-BE16-432B-99AC-8…

http://www.meridian.k12.il.us/Middle%20School/student_work/danny/yelloww…