Anyone Turned Yellowwood?

[steven carter]

I found some yellowwood from a tree that had been taken down, at a wood dump. It is not a very common wood in Indiana, and was wondering if anyone has an experience turning it. The tree looks deceptively like a beech tree when looking at the bark.

[Gordon Thompson]

yes, i enjoyed turning it very much. turned nice, and looked great! had a pnkish hue to it too

[Joe Herrmann]

Never heard of yellowwood. Does it have a more familiar name?

[David Dockstader]

It's a slightly greenish yellow when first cut. When exposed to light, it ultimately turns a light brown. Nice wood to work with. Turns fairly well. I get most of mine as firewood.

[Jamie Donaldson]

I have turned several pieces, and not only did the yellow color fade rather quickly, but the wood moved and checked worse than fresh cherry. I won't bother using it for turning any in the future.

[steven carter]

Thanks for the replies. This is NOT mulberry. Here is an explanation of the tree:



　
　
American Yellowwood
(Cladrastis kentukea)
The American Yellowwood can put on one of the most spectacular flowering displays of any tree species. The blossoms appear in late spring, when numerous wisteria-like foot-long flower clusters droop from the branches. The color is normally white, but can be pink. In either case, a mature tree in full bloom is a stunning sight. In recognition of its beauty, the species was given the prestigious Pennsylvania Horticultural Society Gold Award in 1994.
Unfortunately, many people have never seen the tree in bloom. The species is rare in the wild and seldom planted in yards. Also, most specimens don't flower profusely every year, but only at two to four year intervals.
The blossoms develop into bean-like pods that can hang on the branches into winter. Leaves are pinnately compound, usually with about seven leaflets. They turn a clear yellow, or sometimes gold-orange, before dropping in autumn. Smooth gray bark and a rounded form give the tree a handsome look in winter.
Yellowwood can make an excellent mid-size lawn tree. It deep taproot gives it drought resistance and allows other plants to grow beneath it. It also tolerates alkaline soils. Its main drawback is that it is rather slow growing, and often doesn't begin to bloom until it is about ten years old. It also has brittle wood that can break in storms, so it shouldn't be planted near a house or other structure.
Sometimes a young yellowwood will begin to fork into several main branches just a few feet above the ground, and in such a case it might be desirable to prune it to a single trunk. But any pruning should only be done in fall or early winter, because the tree bleeds excessively if pruned at other times.
The species is found over a large geographic area, but only in small scattered populations. Some large individuals can be seen in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, particularly along the Cove Hardwood Nature Trail. Cultivated specimens have proven to be hardy in Zone 4.


Other Information
Scientific Names: Cladrastis kentukea, Cladrastis lutea
Common Names: Yellowwood, Gopherwood, Vergilia
Plant Type: Mid-size deciduous tree
Height: 40 to 50 feet
Cultivation Zones: 4 - 8
Native Habitat: Valleys or mountain slopes in hardwood forests.
Native Range: Scattered populations mostly in the upper South and in the Ozark region of Arkansas. See distribution map below.


Distribution Map
Range Map Source: U.S. Forest Service. (See General Note C)
Conservation Status: NatureServe lists Cladrastis kentukea as Critically Imperiled in Illinois, South Carolina, and Louisiana; Imperiled in Indiana and Mississippi; Imperiled or Vulnerable in Oklahoma and North Carolina; Vulnerable in Alabama, Georgia, and Missouri; and possibly Vulnerable in Kentucky. Officially the species is classified as Endangered by Illinois and Threatened by Indiana.





　
　
　

[Joe Herrmann]

Interesting--thanks.