Description

Leaves: Alternate; once pinnately compound; 8" to 12" long; deciduous; 5 to 11 elliptic leaflets, 2" to 4" long (terminal leaflet the largest), pointed apex, entire margins, glabrous; bright green; yellow fall color; petiole base swollen, covering bud.

Twigs/buds: Twigs slender; zig-zag; red-brown; glabrous.  No terminal bud; several lateral buds at each leaf scar packed into a brown, hairy cone, covered by the leaf base and nearly surrounded by the leaf scar.

Flowers/fruit: Flowers perfect, white, 1" to 1-1/4" long, pea-like, fragrant; borne in large, drooping groups in May to early June; very attractive.  Fruit a 2" to 4" long, 1/2" wide legume; brown; maturing in October; contains 4 to 6 brown, flat, very hard seeds.

Bark: Very smooth and gray on young and old branches and the trunk.

Wood: Unimportant; named for yellow heartwood; growth rings conspicuous; ring-porous.

General: Native to the southeastern U.S. and parts of the Midwest.  Formerly called C. lutea.  Not common, even where native.  Likes well-drained, rich soil.  Fixes nitrogen.  Shade intolerant.

Landscape Use: This is a good, medium-sized landscape tree that is seldom planted, but should be more often because of its nice flowers and foliage.  Weak branch attachments due to included bark can be a problem.  Zones 4-8.

Cultivar: 'Perkins Pink', 'Rosea'.

Characteristics