Cercidiphyllum japonicum

Japanese Katsura Tree
Cercidiphyllum japonicum

Height: 12-15 m

Width: 4-5 m

Zone: 4

Exposure: Sun to part shade

Densely branched, upright to rounded crown.  Round-oval leaves emerge reddish-purple in the Spring, maturing to medium green. Fall foliage is a mix of gold, orange and red.  Tiny red flowers are inconspicuous.  Leaves emit an odour not unlike cotton candy, at certain times of the season.

A graceful tree with a uniform crown. Katsura should be planted in a location protected from the sun during the heat of the day, strong winds and drought conditions. It can be grown as a specimen tree or multi-stemmed clump. A rare bonus in a tree: Cercidiphyllum prefer soils with high pH.

Additional Notes about Katsura Tree:
The leaf of the katsura tree resembles the leaf of a redbud tree (Cercis), hence the name Cercidiphyllum (Cercis = redbud genus and phyllon = Greek for leaf).