Cladrastis kentukea 'Perkin's Pink' going to bloom???

Hi all,
I was out looking at my trees today and it looks like my Cladrastis kentukea 'Perkin's Pink' has flower buds.

Is that even possible/probable???

I just planted this tree last May. I always thought that it took these trees 10+ years to bloom? I think that Bob (Maackia) is still waiting for his tree to bloom? Maybe I'm just seeing things that are not there, but it sure looks like flower buds coming out of the end of the new growth. This tree is, maybe, 7' tall at the most.

Hmm... I guess I'll have to wait and see? I'll post a picture after the tree has grown a bit more. The next several days are going to be markedly cooler than the last week and a half and this cooler weather will more-than-likely slow the tree's growth a bit.
Thanks,
Mike

I'd say it is likely.

I have two Perkin's Pink. This variety blooms far earlier than the species. I have a bloom on my little four foot tree. My 6 foot tree has bloomed at least a little bit for 3 years now. My species tree is 8 feet tall and has not bloomed.

SB

Mike:

It seems probable. My tree is about 7' tall as well, and was covered with flower buds last year. Mother Nature tempered my enthusiasm with a 25 degree night, which fried them all, along with all the leaves.

SB & Kevin,
Thanks for the info.

I was a little worried that the tree may not actually be a PP yellowwood. Nursery stock is mislabeled all the time so I was not holding my breath that the tree was a PP. I guess my worries were unfounded after all?

I can hardly wait to see the blossoms! Hopefully, my tree won't see the 25°F temperatures this spring that Kevin's tree saw last spring? If there is a danger of a frost/freeze this spring, I will cover the tree with something to help protect the buds.
Thanks again,
Mike

I bet that the species trees are grown from seed and because the cultivar, Perkin's Pink', is a grafted plant, the tree is able to bloom much, much faster than the seed-grown tree.

I am so glad that I purchased a PP.
Mike

What's the verdict this morning? Is the lovely MT/ND/SD weather going whack all the PPs in MN/WI?

More than once, late frosts have done in Cladrastis right here in their native Kentuckea.

If any of you actually get a bloom, or bloom bud, send a picture. I have one decent slide from over a dozen years ago where you can hardly tell the flower from a white sheet of paper.

This is from my 6 foot tree two years ago.

I just checked my tree--I have flower buds again this year.