I first became acquainted with the Katsura tree (Cercidiphyllum japonicum) when I was a teenager working for Four Fives Nursery on Summer Avenue, where a 25- foot specimen was thriving. The species is native to Japan and China; originally the type from China was treated as a subspecies until molecular research revealed no differences.
Katsura trees are generally very hardy with few pest and disease issues. The genus name Cercidiphyllum refers to a leaf resembling a Cercis, which is the genus for redbud trees. They do share the same overall leaf shape resembling a heart, but the Katsura has generally larger leaves and an opposite leaf arrangement, whereas the red bud leaf has an alternate leaf arrangement. They are not related botanically. The common name Katsura refers to a town in Japan.
Katsura are medium-sized deciduous trees, fairly fast-growing to 30-40 feet tall. I have often wondered why they are not more widely used in Mid-South gardens. In the wild, Katsura are understory trees, making them well suited for the Dixon and the Mid-South. They can take a great deal of sun, but I always site them with protection for the later, post-three o’clock afternoon sunlight.
Katsura are dioecious, which means that male and female flowers are on different plants. The flowers are ornamentally inconspicuous because they are small. On male plants tiny red flowers emerge before the foliage erupts. On female plants the flowers are green and bloom after the leaves form. You can often tell the gender by the plant’s overall form without even looking at the flowers because male trees tend to be more upright than female ones.
The fall color is soft yellow to apricot, always on the pastel side. When the leaves drop in autumn, they often emit the fragrance of burnt caramel or cotton candy and, depending on environmental conditions, the smell can be pleasantly strong. Its nickname is “Caramel Tree” because of the fall fragrance.
Most Katsura plants in the trade are seed grown, and the Dixon has several nice seed-grown examples surrounding the Kaneko lawn. More than 25 cultivars are listed, with some boasting unique spring leaf color. They will revert to typical blue-green foliage in the summer. There are also dwarf and weeping forms. We have two incredible examples of the weeping cultivar ‘Amazing Grace’ flanking each side of the Bowlin stage. These plants have graceful arching branches that frame the Europa and the Bull sculpture, hanging like draperies and bringing the eye back to the stage. The specimen on the east side of the stage is one of our designated arboretum trees.
Katsura is one of my favorite trees, and I’m not alone. It’s also a favorite of the great plantsman, Dr. Micheal Dirr. He says it has an “understated elegance through all the seasons” and claims it would be his choice “if he could only have one tree.”
Dale Skaggs, Director of Horticulture
▶ We will have specimens of Katsura at the Rare Plant and Garden Ornament Auction on November 12.