Cladrastis kentuckea, Yellowwood. One of the very nicest North American trees

And my favorite. Most of the time...If you drive along the road in Fern Valley you can find this tree by looking either up, down, or using your nose. The pure white racemes cascade over the road as the tree arches towards available sunlight. Fallen white flowers litter the edge of the road for at least 200 feet under the tree, and you can smell it as soon as you get close. It smells wonderful.

Several years ago I spent a little time removing vines from some giant Yellowwoods that were growing in an uncurated part of the Arboretum. They're giant trees and I found a label on one that identified it has having been planted in December 1941, a Pearl Harbor tree! I've always said that you could plant woodies here in DC all winter so long as the ground wasn't frozen. Anyway, they are flowering now; I looked from the road (at the brick bridge on Hickey Lane) and 150 feet away there was no mistaking the identity of those trees.. This is the heaviest they have flowered in the three years since I cleaned their canopies. Wow. .