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Kentucky Yellowwood

Cladrastis kentukea

In the Carolinas and Georgia, found in mountain forests, Piedmont bluffs, especially on calcareous or mafic rocks (introduced only in the Piedmont of NC), loess bluffs along the Mississippi River. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition What its natural habitat tells you

17
Modest

Native to Louisiana. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 100%

Height
30–45 feet
Spread
40–45 feet
Light
Full sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture
Usually moist

Space about 30 ft apart from its recorded spread. Enter your bed size for a count

Will it fit your yard?

Rare or protected plant. Specialist conservation planting; excluded from routine garden suggestions. Plant caution source

Hidden from default planting suggestions. Wildlife value and native status remain unchanged.

At a glance

Life cycle
Woody perennial
Leaves
Deciduous
Bloom
April to May
Fruiting season
July to August

Recorded in 2 Louisiana parishes.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

Forests and woodlands

Forest or woodland where the source does not say how moist or dry.

All habitats

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

0CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including LA
2BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Cladrastis

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
0Specialist beesPollen specialists
—BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Fabaceae
Hardiness
Zones 4a–8b
Soil pH
Acidic to alkaline
Flower color
White
Growth rate
Moderate
Growth habit
Single stem
Foliage color
Green
Fruit begins
July
Fruit ends
August
Growing sources and scope
Also known as

Cladrastis lutea; Kentucky Yellow Wood; Yellow Wood

Conservation status

Louisiana rankS1
Global rankG4
LA statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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Sources