Cladrastis lutea
| Cladrastis lutea | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 3 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 49' |
| Width: | 26' |
| Speed: | Slow |
| Blooms: | Early Summer |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Nitrogen Fixer | |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Cladrastis lutea (common name: yellow wood)
Propagation: Seed - can be sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame[1]. Stored seed should be pre-soaked for 24 hours in warm water and then sown in a greenhouse in late winter[1][2][3]. Three months cold stratification at 5°c can reduce the germination time[3]. Germination usually takes place within 1 - 3 months at 10°c[2]. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the cold frame for at least their first winter. Plant them out in late spring or early summer after the last expected frosts.
Root cuttings, 5 - 7cm long, December in a greenhouse. Good percentage[1].
Cultivation: Prefers a rich well-drained loamy soil in a very sunny position[4][3]. Tolerates slightly acid to very alkaline soils[3].
A very ornamental plant[5], when dormant it is hardy to -30°c or lower[3]. However, plants can be excited into early spring growth in the mild climate of Britain and that growth is very susceptible to frost damage[3].
A slow-growing but moderately long-lived tree in the wild[6].
The branches are brittle and can be broken off in strong winds[7][3].
The plants contain a copious watery sap and can bleed profusely if they are pruned in winter or spring[8][3]. Any pruning is best done in late summer[3].
This species often only flowers in alternate years in the wild[8]. The flowers are produced most freely after a long hot summer[3]. The flowers have a soft scent of vanilla[9].
This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[3].
Range: South-eastern N. America - Appalachian mountains, mainly in North Carolina and Tennessee.
Habitat: Woods in rich well-drained limestone soils, in river valleys, slopes, ridges and the borders of streams[6].
Usage: A clear yellow dye is obtained from the heartwood[10][11][8].
Wood - relatively heavy, very hard, strong, close grained, durable and takes a beautiful polish[4][10][11][8][6]. It weighs 39lb per cubic foot[12] and is a good fuel[8].
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Seed Ripens: Early Fall
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Also Known As: C. tinctoria. Virgilia lutea.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Sheat, Wilfrid. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. St Martin, 1948.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Bird, Alfred. Growing from Seed Volume 4. Thompson and Morgan, 1990.
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Bean, William. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Murray, 1981.
- ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Elias, Thomas. The Complete Trees of North America. Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1980.
- ↑ Brickell, Christopher. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers. Dorling Kindersley Publishers, 1990.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 Sargent, Charles. Manual of the Trees of North America. Dover, 1965.
- ↑ Genders, Roy. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale, 1994.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
- ↑ Britton, Nathaniel and Addison Brown. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada. Dover Publications, 1970.