Divergent and versatile synthetic routes to flavones and flavanones via efficient Pd(II) catalysis are disclosed. These Pd(II) catalyses expediently provide a variety of flavones and flavanones from 2′-hydroxydihydrochalcones as common intermediates, depending on oxidants and additives, via discriminate oxidative cyclization sequences involving dehydrogenation, respectively, in a highly atom-economic manner.