Cladrastris kentuckea 12Ltr pot

Cladrastis kentukea — 12L Pot

Commonly known as Kentucky yellowwood, this is a genuinely uncommon and rewarding specimen tree for the connoisseur's garden. Bright, light green compound leaves, up to 30cm long with 7–9 leaflets, provide light dappled shade through summer before turning a clear, striking yellow in autumn. The real spectacle comes in late spring and early summer, when pendent panicles of fragrant white flowers — resembling wisteria, to which it's related — hang in profusion up to 25cm long, giving off a delicate vanilla scent. Note that young trees can take several years to flower for the first time.

Position in full sun in a sheltered spot, in well-drained soil — it tolerates chalk, loam and sand, and copes with a range of pH. It's worth pruning only in summer, as winter or spring cuts can bleed heavily. Expect an eventual height of 8–12m with a spread wider than 8m, reached over 20–50 years, making this a genuine long-term specimen tree for a garden with space to give it room to develop its broad, rounded crown.

Each tree is hand-selected before dispatch.