The Rare American Yellowwood Tree |
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In all my years of traipsing through yards and gardens, I can count on one hand the number of places where I have seen an American yellowwood tree: St. John’s campus, Eastview High School, Kari’s garden, UW Madison campus and the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. Yup, that’s it. I don’t understand why it’s not more widely used. American yellowwood is native, has beautiful fall color and it flowers. You can’t say all that about maples and I see plenty of those.
Yellowwood (Cladrastis kentukea) is a moderate-size deciduous tree, reaching a height of 40-60 feet. The common name is derived from the appearance of the freshly cut heartwood, which is yellow, hence the name yellowwood. The tree was once used to manufacture yellow dyes. Yellowwood is hardy in Zones 4 to 8 and is native to Eastern North America (just a reminder, Minnesota is Zone 4). It can handle high soil pH (up to 8.2) and is considered relatively pest and disease free. Even the Japanese beetle wants nothing to do with the yellowwood.
Yellowwood has elegant year-round beauty. Pendulous fragrant white flowers, reminiscent of wisteria, appear in the summer. The flowers are followed by showy, three-inch long, whitish-grey pods. The elephant grey bark is smooth, similar to a beech tree. The umbrella shape of the crown and rich green foliage make the yellowwood a handsome tree during the summer. The leaves turn a surprisingly beautiful yellow in fall. In short, the yellowwood is a breath of freshness all year round.
Yellowwood trees admittedly have a maddening branching habit, generally doing fine until the tree is about chest height, when multiple leaders fork low on the trunk. Judicious and timely pruning can help, though at a certain point, it is probably reasonable to just accept that good branching structure is not this tree’s strong suit. Pruning should be done only in midsummer because the tree “bleeds” profusely if pruned in the spring and tends to crack if pruned during the winter.
Yellowwood’s other positive attributes clearly outweigh this one idiosyncrasy, and I would suggest that the value and benefit this beautiful tree provides makes consideration for planting worthwhile in many gardens.
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Flowers are visited by a large number of bees. Trees may not flower until they are 10-years-old and then seem to give outstanding displays only in cycles of every two to five years. The gorgeous display is well worth the wait. |
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Yellowwood blooms in early June, about the time school is out for the summer. |
Yellowwood in summer at the UW Madison campus. |
My yellowwood tree has weathered a number of early and late season ice storms, as well as heavy, annual snowfall, with no trace of damage. She did take a number of years to bloom, but now rewards my wait with a lush, fragrant canopy in early June, followed by dangling, decorative seed pods in autumn. |
The fruits mature in size by August and in September are brown and dry. They remain on the trees for a short period after the fall of the leaves, but they soon fall to the ground. |
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A question I often hear is 'What is a good alternative for boxwoods?' Many gardeners are frustrated by their boxwoods’ random death and/or browning after years of growing beautifully in the garden.
Winters can take a terrible toll on boxwood. A cold December and January combined with a lack of snow cover can dry and desiccate leaves. Any snow cover that comes later in the season won’t help if the leaves were already exposed to killing temperatures. Plants are especially susceptible to winter damage in temperatures get below -10 degrees Fahrenheit, especially in locations next to pavement or siding of the house with direct sunlight that warms the tissue up too quickly.
Due to our rigorous winters, only a few broadleaf evergreens will survive in Minnesota. Boxwood, rhododendrons, vinca and pachysandra are four common broadleaf evergreens for Zone 4. Boxwood (Buxus sempervirens) is typically hardy down to Zone 5.
Some boxwood cultivars are more tolerant of cold temperatures than others. A Korean cross with sempervirens has produced a hardy boxwood to -10 F. Chicagoland Green and Green Velvet are listed as hardy to Zone 4.
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If your planting site is subjected to winter winds, or if it is next to hardscape such as driveways or sidewalks, consider covering the boxwood with burlap over the winter. Have the burlap on by Thanksgiving and remove by Easter. |
A good replacement for boxwood is Green Mound Alpine Currant, with none of the winter problems and a reasonable look-alike from afar. |
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Slow Cooker
White Chicken Chili
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Ingredients
3 Tbls butter
1 onion, chopped
10 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeno, minced
3 (4oz) cans chopped green chilies
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp oregano
½ tsp cayenne pepper
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
4 cups chicken stock
1 (14 oz) can great Northern Beans, drained and rinsed
1 ½ frozen corn
1 cup cilantro or parsley, chopped
2 Tbls lime juice
Salt and pepper to taste
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Instructions
In large fry pan, sauté onion, garlic and jalapeno in butter until soft, about 10 minutes. Add green chilies, cumin, onion powder, oregano, and cayenne and cook for 1-2 minutes.
Transfer mixture to slow cooker. Add chicken and stock. Cover and cook for 4 hours.
Shred chicken with two forks. Stir in frozen corn, beans, cilantro and lime juice. Cook until warmed through, 30 minutes.
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Thanks for Reading
Happy Planting!
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Faith
Faith Appelquist
President & Founder
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