Virginia Tech Dendrology

kidneywood Fabaceae Eysenhardtia orthocarpa (A. Gray) S. Watson symbol: EYOR
Leaf: Alternate, pinnately compound, tardily deciduous, to 6 inches long; with many narrowly elliptical glabrous leaflets, each with an entire margin and on a short petiole, light green above and below.
Flower: Borne on tall (to 6 inch), loose spikes at the ends of the twigs, white, fragrant (vanilla-like); appearing after rainfall at any time during the growing season.
Fruit: Flattened pod, light brown, 1/2 inch long; containing 1 kidney-shaped, smooth, red-brown seed.
Twig: Moderate, gray-brown and somewhat grooved below the nodes, buds are small, gray-brown and appressed.
Bark: Initially smooth and gray, Smooth and gray; later becoming ridged or developing a shreddy appearance, broken into small plates or loose scales.
Form: A multi-stem shrub or small tree to 20 feet tall.
Looks like: Texas kidneywood

Additional Range Information: Eysenhardtia orthocarpa is native to North America. Range may be expanded by planting. Download the full-size PDF map.
External Links: USDA Plants Database
All material 2021 Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation; Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson; Silvics reprinted from Ag Handbook 654; range map source information