Moderate drought tolerance. Rooting habit debated: Sunset, Missouri BG, Odenwald/Turner, NCSU say deep and good for planting under, Stoecklein says shallow mat poor for planting under. Could they both be right? UFL says rooting is shallow if soil is wet. Dove/Woolridge say initial taproot gives way to shallower root system over time.
Soil compaction tolerance is also debated (UFL vs. USDA), as is salt tolerance (Dove/Woolridge(?) vs. USDA) and clay tolerance (Dove/Woolridge and Dirr/Warren vs. USDA, NCSU, and White Oak).
Low branching in full sun. Pruning cuts in winter/spring bleed. Prune to remove tight crotches. Bark showy when mature. Partial shade probably only appropriate in southern areas. May bloom sooner in containers. Better drainage (and avoiding clay soil) may reduce susceptibility to Asian ambrosia beetle.
Flowers are vanilla-scented and typically cyclical (some years have reduced displays).
Despite being native, yellowwood is listed by Doug Tallamy as supporting no butterfly/moth larvae.
Sources: White Oak, Sunset, UFL, Dove/Woolridge, UConn, Missouri BG, Odenwald/Turner, USDA, Druse, Dirr/Warren.
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