Cladrastis kentukea Sweetshade

Sweetshade Yellowwood

(Sweetshade® American Yellowwood)
A selected American yellowwood cultivar prized for its improved branching structure, reliable flowering, and refined shade-tree form. ‘Sweetshade’ produces elegant, pendulous clusters of fragrant white flowers in late spring and develops a broad, rounded canopy that delivers light, dappled shade—making it especially well suited for residential landscapes.

Size:



Width: 30–40 ft



Height: 30–45 ft



Zones: 4a–8b

Light: Full sun to partial shade
(Best flowering and strongest structure in full sun.)

Soil: Moist, well-drained soils; adaptable to clay and loam; prefers slightly acidic to neutral pH

Features:



Flowers: Cascading, fragrant white pea-like blooms in late spring



Foliage: Blue-green compound leaves turning clear yellow in fall



Bark: Smooth gray bark with subtle striping; attractive year-round



Form: Upright when young, maturing into a well-branched, rounded canopy with improved limb strength



Attracts:
Pollinators, especially bees

Uses:
Specimen tree, shade tree, lawns, parks, large residential landscapes, native plantings

Notes:



Selected for better branching and landscape performance than seed-grown yellowwood.



Flowering improves with maturity; young trees may take several years to bloom.



Branches are less brittle than typical yellowwood but still benefit from sheltered siting.



Excellent alternative to flowering pears and other non-native shade trees.

Plant type

Deciduous Tree, Shade Tree

Height

30-45'

Width

30-40'

Hardiness zones

4–8

Sunlight

Full Sun, Partial Shade

Bloom time

Early Summer, Late Spring

Flower color

White

Leaf color

Green

Fall color

Yellow

Attracts

Butterflies

Soil

Loamy, Moist well-drained

Landscape use

Accent Plant, Specimen, Street Tree

Shape

Oval/Rounded

Fragrant

Yes

Drought tolerant

No