Yellowwood is a tree, a long-term addition to the landscape. It's hardy across USDA zones 4 through 10 and shrugs off deer. Its early summer flowers are a real draw for honeybees and native bees. A nitrogen-fixer, it draws nitrogen from the air and feeds it back to the soil — turn it under or leave the roots in place, and the next planting inherits a richer bed.
Zones
4-10
pH Range
4.8-7.5
Sun
Part Sun
Days to Maturity
---
Score Yellowwood on your exact land.
Zone averages can't see the slope, soil, frost, and sun that decide whether yellowwood actually takes — and those shift from one yard to the next. Enter your address and we'll score yellowwood against your land's real conditions.
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
No card required · your full report in seconds
See Yellowwood
What Yellowwood is
Yellowwood grows as a perennial and reaches around 40 feet at maturity. It blooms white in early summer. It's also deer-resistant.
How to grow Yellowwood
Yellowwood grows in USDA zones 4 through 10. Yellowwood does best in part sun — at least 4 hours of direct sun a day — and soil from pH 4.8 to 7.5. It needs a growing season of at least 180 frost-free days and about 700 hours of winter chill, which is why climate matters as much as soil.
USDA Zones
4-10
USDA PHZM 2023
Soil pH
4.8 - 7.5
USDA PLANTS Database
Sun
Part Sun
plant_species_v5.csv
Drainage
Data pending
plant_species_v5.csv
Frost Tolerance
-32°F
plant_species_v5.csv
Mature Height
40 ft
plant_species_v5.csv
Chill Hours
700+
plant_species_v5.csv
Frost-Free Days
180+
plant_species_v5.csv
Plant it right
Set yellowwood in part sun with well-drained soil. Many fruit trees need a second variety nearby to pollinate — check before you plant just one.
Match the soil
Yellowwood prefers pH 4.8 to 7.5 (USDA PLANTS Database). A quick soil test from your local Extension lab tells you whether to add lime or sulfur to land in band. It fixes its own nitrogen, so skip the high-nitrogen feed and instead dust the seed with a matching rhizobium inoculant at sowing.
Water steadily
Keep the root zone evenly moist through establishment. Match watering to the plant's drainage preference and your local rainfall.
Be patient, then harvest
Prune annually while the tree establishes; fruit trees reward patience with years of harvest. Local Extension guides publish per-cultivar bearing-age tables.
Good to know
Good news for pet owners — yellowwood isn't known to be toxic to dogs or cats. (Source: ASPCA.)
Yellowwood is a standout pollinator plant — high value to bees and other pollinators. (Source: Xerces Society, Pollinator Partnership.)
Where Yellowwood thrives
Yellowwood is hardy across USDA zones 4 through 10. Zone is only the starting point, though: the soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific land decide how well it actually does.
Zones 4–10·Where Yellowwood growsOpen map →
On USDA hardiness-zone overlap, Yellowwood can grow in these states:
See if Yellowwood will thrive on your land
Zone averages are a start. Your exact soil pH, drainage, sun exposure, and frost dates shape whether yellowwood actually takes — we score it against the real conditions at your address.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources analyzed in seconds
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I grow Yellowwood in my zone?
Yellowwood grows in USDA hardiness zones 4 through 10 (USDA PHZM 2023). Zone is one factor — soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific parcel also shape whether it takes.
When should you plant Yellowwood?
Set yellowwood out in early spring or fall while it's dormant, so the roots establish before the heat of summer. Your local last-frost date — which a Growable Ground report pulls for your exact address — sets the precise window.
How much sun does Yellowwood need?
Yellowwood does well in partial sun — around 4 hours of direct sun, and it takes some afternoon shade in stride. That flexibility makes it a good match for a bed the house or a nearby tree shades for part of the day. A Growable Ground report maps how the sun actually falls on your land, hour by hour, so you can set it where the light lines up.
What soil does Yellowwood need?
Yellowwood prefers soil pH 4.8 to 7.5 (USDA PLANTS Database). Your report scores your parcel's actual soil against that using USDA SSURGO data.
Does Yellowwood attract pollinators?
Yes — yellowwood's flowers are a strong nectar and pollen source for honeybees and native bees (Xerces Society, Pollinator Partnership).
Is Yellowwood safe for pets?
Yellowwood is not known to be toxic to dogs or cats based on available data (ASPCA). Always supervise pets around new plantings.