General Culture:

Best grown in rich, moist, well-drained soils in part shade. Tolerates full sun, but has little tolerance for drought particularly when young. Best sited in a location protected from strong winds and hot afternoon sun.

Noteworthy Characteristics:

Katsura tree is a deciduous, single or multi-trunked, understory tree with a dense, rounded habit. It typically matures to 40-60' in cultivation, but can reach 100' or more in the wild. It is grown for its beautiful shape and its attractive foliage. Round-oval leaves (to 4" long) resemble those of a small redbud (Cercis = redbud genus and phyllon= Greek for leaf). Leaves emerge reddish purple in spring, mature to medium green with a slight bluish tinge in summer and turn quality shades of gold, orange and red in fall. Although not aromatic, the fallen autumn leaves have been varyingly described as smelling of cinnamon, burnt sugar or ripe apples. Dioecious (male and female flowers are on separate trees). Tiny reddish flowers appear in spring but are not showy. Pollinated flowers on female trees are followed by clusters of greenish pods (to 3/4" long).