Katsura

Scientific Name:
Cercidiphyllum japonicum 

Average height at maturity:
40 to 60 feet 

Average width of canopy at maturity:
20 to 30 feet 

Leaves and bark:

  • The katsura tree has heart-shaped leaves with rounded teeth. Young leaves of a katsura tree have a purple color that will turn into soft green and then to blue-green as they mature.
  • The katsura tree has rough, brown/light gray bark.

Other fun and interesting facts:

  • The katsura tree is native to China and Japan.
  • Its fruit is composed of peapods with winged seeds.
  • Katsura seeds were first brought to New York in 1865 by Thomas Hogg Jr., a United States Marshall on a diplomatic mission to Japan.
  • In the late winter, tiny red flowers come out before the leaves.
  • In Germany, the katsura is called “kuchenbaum,” which means “cake tree.”
  • The katsura is related to the witch-hazel family.
  • Look for a katsura tree near the handball court in Wood Park.

 

Sources:

https://mortonarb.org/plant-and-protect/trees-and-plants/katsura-tree/#overview
https://arboretum.harvard.edu/plant-bios/katsura/
https://www.uaex.uada.edu/yard-garden/resource-library/plant-week/katsura-tree-11-2-07.aspx#:~:text=Katsura%20trees%20were%20introduced%20to,a%20diplomatic%20mission%20in%20Japan.
https://www.centralparknyc.org/plants/katsura

 

Photo Credit to Ben Leynse
Information compiled as part of Robert Slater’s 2023 Eagle Scout Project