Melinda Myers

Katsura Tree

Botanical Name

Cercidiphyllum japonicum

Min Zone

4

Max Zone

8

Height

40 to 60 feet

Width

20 to 40 feet

Flowers

March-April: dioecious, insignificant

Fruit

Females have .75 inch dehiscent pods - like upright bananas

Fall Color

Yellow to apricot

Light

Full sun

Soil

Rich, moist, well-drained

Planting & Care

• Not easy to transplant
• Transplant balled and burlap and container in spring to allow root development
• pH adaptable
• Water during dry periods
• Because of its shallow root system, Katsura tree will benefit from a layer of mulch to maintain a cool root environment
• Leaf scorch common in hot, dry sites

Problems

None serious

Varieties

• Pendulum - graceful, weeping form, 15 feet
• Red Fox (Cercidiphyllum japonicum 'Rotfuchs') - upright oval form, 30 feet tall by 16 feet wide, bronze-purple spring foliage maturing to bronze-green in summer, orange-bronze fall color