See text Cladrastis (yellowwood) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Fabaceae.

It includes four species, three native to eastern Asia and one to southeastern North America.

The flowers are fragrant, white or pink, produced in racemes or panicles 15–40 cm long.

Cladrastis is related to the genus Maackia, from which it differs in having the buds concealed in the leaf base, and in the leaflets being arranged alternately on the leaf rachis, not in opposite pairs.

The genus name derives from the Greek klados, branch, and thraustos, fragile, referring to the brittle nature of the twigs.