Mine is actually the cultivar 'Rosea' or 'Perkin's Pink', so must not be seed grown. I remember, Sara, that you said it tends to burn up in hot California sun; my growing zone is on the fringes of the fog zone and hopefully not quite as hot as your area, but we do occasionally sizzle in 100 degree heat. I will be very disappointed if the fall color is wimpy.

We virtually never get to 100 and are quite maritime - moving air all the time. Typical summer temps are low to mid-80s. Fall color quite unremarkable. This tree is grown for its gorgeous flowers (they look almost like wisteria). Otherwise it is not notable. I'm in a very windy spot and no split or problems. Nothing to add on the alternate year flowering, as it hasn't flowered!

Fall color is very good where I live, so , Sara, you must be in a more maritime zone.. That's not great news with respect to keeping Cladrastis good looking. Oh gosh, I just can't resist trying things sometimes and it looks like I could have made a better choice. I'll probably plant it anyway and if I don't like it, I suppose my teensy seedling of Nyssa sinensis will have grown some and can take its place next year.

Imagine a Yellowwood going back to John Quincy Adams!

I've seen the Yellowood planted by Jon Quincy Adams. The trees are mostly grown for their flowers but I find their leaves are quite pretty as well.

Does anyone have any pictures that display their bad crotch angles?

My best plants for fall color are Nyssa sylvatica, Viburnum opulus 'Roseum', Fothergilla, Cotinus (especially obovatus), Acer palmatum 'Tobiosho' and 'Seiryu' (both in full sun; no other Japanese maples color here reliably), Acer griseum (quite possibly the best and most reliable), Parrotia, and of course, Ginkgo.

tlbean2004(Z7): As requested:

My Yellowood had decent color the first year, only ok the next. It was rubbed by a buck in between and seems to be recovering.

What is Yellowood's potential size in different climates? Large for me means 70-100 foot btw.

Oh wow. My Acer griseum barely takes part in fall. Guess local climate does play a part.

Toronado, I seriously doubt yellowwood will ever reach 70-100'. Below is what some larger ones do, slowly spread apart & eventually fall:

You want to keep this species growing well when young and retain a leader so that it does not fork low, break up later when the main branches get big and heavy. The one in the preceding photo should either be cabled (if feasible) or cut down, before it falls on a passing motorist or pedestrian. Also it looks like somebody stripped it (cleared all branches from the lower portions). In addition to it having developed low forking this is not what is desirable with this species - which should instead have branches down to eye level.

Trees Database - Cladrastis kentukea

https://treesdb.azurewebsites.net/Browse/Sites/38593/Species/Cladrastis%20kentukea%20(Kentucky%20Yellowwood)/Details

Champion Trees National Register - Yellowwood

http://www.americanforests.org/big-trees/yellowwood-cladrastis-kentukea-2/

If you ever find yourself in the Old City historic district of Philadelphia check out the Yellowwood behind City Tavern -- very nice specimen! It's also a good place to sample beer brewed from recipes of the founding fathers. Actually, I recommend sampling all the beers, but don't forget to look at the tree.

My Acer griseum was a fall color wimp and my garden ordinarily has plants that color well (Fothergilla, Oak Lead Hydrangea, Itea, Nandina, Persimmon, Nyssa, Pin Oak, various Japanese Maples, Vitus Rogers Red, many Blueberry cultivars, etc).

Cool to see the registry of record specimens. I'm old enough to not worry much about how big any tree gets.

Yes, it shouldn't have been tipped. Also it is already forking only a short distance above the ground (below fence height), and there is actually three narrowly angled branches coming off the same point below the termination of the central stem.

When trees are genetically predetermined to grow crazily you may have to be quite vigilant during the early years to end up with a satisfactory mature specimen. Perhaps before humans started producing the modern landscape most Yellow Woods were growing among other trees that drew them up toward the light, resulting in less forking and breakage.

It's forking even lower than you think because it isn't yet planted. BTW, the tree comes in a root bag. This will be my first experience planting something from a root bag.but the concept impresses me. Check this out if you're interested.

http://treebag.com/root-control-bag/

Invented by Carl Whitcomb. From the horse's mouth:

http://www.drcarlwhitcomb.com/The_Containers.html

I've decided to plant my new Cladrastis in a part shade location. It's not what I had in mind when I started this topic, but I think it'll be happier there on hot summer days. Hopefully, I'll get to see it flower before too many years elapse!

Anyone seen a variegated one up for sale recently? I know a few are in the works but none for sale of late.

Apparently my theory was correct.

It typically forks repeatedly and develops a broad rounded crown in full sun, but maintains a single tall stem and much narrower form under dense shade

https://bernheim.org/explore/arboretum/bernheim-select/yellowwood/

Very nice writeup on Cladrastis, Embo. Here's in part what attracted me to the tree:

"Yellowwood is a gorgeous, medium-sized, native tree with an elegant branching pattern. The spring flowers, fall foliage, and smooth bark make this an attractive tree."

As far as finding one with variegated foliage, dunno, it's hard enough to find this tree for sale anywhere. Even Forest Farm doesn't have it. I could have acquired it from Digging Dog, a California nursery, but I wanted something bigger than they offered. The write up on it at Digging Dog makes it sound irresistible:

"Uncommon in cultivation and considered by many to be the foremost American flowering tree, this southeastern U.S. denizen forges a graceful broad rounded crown of delicate low sweeping limbs that create dense shade. The dramatic framework becomes a dignified focal point with smooth pewter-colored bark and prominent flat brown seed pods on sinewy luminous branches. Delightfully fragrant, pendulous, long creamy white Wisteria-style panicles luxuriate against pinnately compound, rich green foliage defined by 7 to 9 deciduous leaflets, donning silky gray hairs when young and bright butter yellow hues in autumn.

Pest free and drought tolerant, practically indestructible Yellowood detests wet feet, favors well-drained loam, yields a yellow dye and supports beneficial nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Grows moderately. Large Band."

Here are some photos of mine. Sorry about the poor quality of the shot of the entire tree. It's about 14-15' tall, in moderate shade. This one is the 'Perkins Pink'. The species is in full sun.

Sara, the one you show is typical & prb'ly will gradually split apart unless it's cabled or one side cut off......

Yes I know, but since it's been in the ground for over 10 years and never bloomed, I'm thinking that the cut needs to be much lower down...

I thought ten years was about the point they were in theory supposed to start blooming...so any minute now. How do they handle your droughts?

It's on supplemental irrigation. It was a decent-sized #5 when I got it (from Forest Farm) and it's been in the ground almost 11 years (April). With the winter chill we've had this year and the tree's age, I agree, it should now be ready to bloom. The species tree has been in a year longer though, and no blooms on it, either.

Is a number 5 the same size of tree they sell at the big box stores?

How tall was it when you received it?

Oh, and Sara, how much land do you have? You seem to have sooo many types of different plants!

I don't go to big box stores so I'm not sure but I suspect that a lot are sold in that size. About 10"-12 across I think. I think it was about 3' tall when I got it.

I have about 3-4 acres 'under cultivation'. I live on a ranch where we operate an equine business on 25 acres of our property, and I garden around it.

Possibly the supposed pink one is actually a seedling and is therefore not maturing any faster.

"...I'm thinking that the cut needs to be much lower down..."

Noooooo! Don't be ruthless; at least put it to the GW panel for a decision. ;)

Here's a unusual example I discovered several years back. There was a abundant blooms that year but have not been back in the area for another 'flower show'

5 gal. bucket for scale.

Ron how would you tell? At 10-11 years with nothing happening, I am ready to pull the plug. Partly because these kinds of woodland trees that really don';t want to be in a Mediterranean climate are compromised from the start. In truth, I'm amazed at what I can grow here - beech, for example, do very well as long as enough irrigation. I have oaks and maples from all kinds of places, again, if enough irrigation. But woodland plants, those that need acidic soil, moist air and enough water, languish here almost universally. And that does not surprise me.

conifer50, that looks like some oak/tuliptree/red maple "sprouts" in previously clear-cut forests -- a ring of sprouts around a central, rotted-away stump.

There should be a graft line unless these trees are sometimes raised from cuttings. If it is a seedling it is just entering the time period where flowering might commence. Many tree species produce seedlings that may not flower for decades, the early years being spent concentrating energy into building height.

I couldn't pull the plug just yet. It's only just at its average expected time to bloom. Add with it's history of erratic bloom I think it's too soon to give up on it.

How much irrigation do you give it? Drip? Just how much to water is a problem I struggle with. It might say to give 1" water per week or it might say water deeply but I can never really tell how deep the watering gets. Short of being able to dig down to check, what do you do to know you've watered enough, or even not too much?

Some species won't bloom if you overwater not sure if thats the case with yellowwood.

A former co-worker had a yellowwood that finally bloomed after 7 years in the ground (it was a 5 year old when planted). He said the flower show was spectacular and worth the wait. I have a feeling you'll be posted a blooming tree this spring.

I take it the yellow wood doesn't produce flower buds the previous season?

I have never water mine and it is in a very dry hard clay spot. Hope you will post a blooming tree this spring.

Offering seedlings of named forms under their cultivar names isn't limited to perennial plants like 'Palace Purple' heuchera.

'Bloodgood' maple for instance. Another example I have seen is seedlings of 'Royal Purple' smoke bush being presented under the name. The material encountered on such occasions was obvious variable swarms with not that many - if any - having the full coloration of the named selection.

Cotinus 'Royal Purple' and 'Grace' seed themselves all over my garden and most do not have the coloration of the parents.

Sara, how big is your 'Royal Purple'? How long have you had it planted?

I planted one about 2 years ago and it is in an area between me and my neighbors drive way which is only about 6ft. It grew a central leader last year about 6ft tall.

That one can be slow.

I have many and they have been in anywhere from almost twenty years to five. Some are very large, some I coppice, some I prune into multi-trunked trees. It's a love-hate thing, especially with 'Grace'.

Here is a photo of my newly planted Cladrastis. I think it has potential to be a nice looking tree. I'll deal with any pruning issues in mid-summer or fall. Also need to identify a new leader as it was nipped off to get it in its shipping container.

Install a tall, firmly anchored pole, select a leader and train it up the pole, in order to get the tree to make a new crown higher up. Use this to gradually replace the existing main branches. The existing forks are all too low, with too narrow angles, plus the upper set of 3 all comes together at the same point.

Thank you, Embo, will take your advice to stake and train a new leader. Right now, there are some side branches that are competing for leadership, so I'll be nipping those back. Though I am afraid to do any pruning until summer because of bleeding issues.....

Remember bleeding isn't bad for the tree, it's just unsightly. So do as you wish.

Just finished up an ACS meeting which was attended by two folks from Kentucky - an arborist and a hort professor at WKU. They are both very familiar with Cladrastis and they both believe that mine have never bloomed due to lack of winter chill. The 'Perkins Pink' should have bloomed earlier than the species because it was either grafted or grown from cuttings and so would have had older wood. I'm going to see what happens this year, due to the increased chill hours that we've had, but I suspect that this tree is just not suitable for CA. :-(

It never occurred to me that winter chill could be a limiting factor in choosing a flowering tree to plant in California. There are so many non-native trees that bloom here without apparent difficulty. Dogwoods, Stewartia, Styrax, Parrotia, ornamental Cherries, Crabapples come immediately to mind and some of them come from colder areas than Cladrastis. I don't think these trees have difficulty coming into bloom. So why should Cladrastis have difficulty?

It'll be interesting to learn if your tree finally blooms this year.