Amur Corktree

Amur Corktree (Phellodendron amurense)

Full sun, medium to dry moisture, tolerates clay, sandy loam, and compacted urban soils, pH 5.5–8.0; drought-tolerant once established.

30–45 feet tall by 40–50 feet wide; dioecious; flowers small, yellow-green, in terminal cymes in June; female trees produce clusters of small black drupes 1 cm ripening in October. Growth rate medium to fast.

Native region: Not native to Tennessee; ornamental introduction from Manchuria (northeastern China), Korea, and Japan.

Phellodendron amurense is widely planted as a low-maintenance shade tree but is listed as invasive in several northeastern and mid-Atlantic states due to bird-dispersed seed; Tennessee homeowners and municipalities should verify current TN Department of Agriculture guidance before planting, and selecting male cultivars (which produce no fruit) eliminates the dispersal concern entirely. The deeply corky, gray-furrowed bark resembles cork oak and is the primary ornamental interest in winter. Compound pinnate leaves produce negligible fall color — yellow-green at best — and the tree's primary landscape virtue is heat, drought, and compaction tolerance rather than aesthetics. UT Extension shade tree surveys note few serious pest or disease problems in Tennessee; canker diseases occasionally affect drought-stressed specimens. The wide-spreading crown with ascending branch architecture requires open siting.