The Katsura is a tree that loses its leaves every year. It grows slowly to quickly and reached a height of about 50 feet when it was fully grown. This variety is good for most urban or suburban yards, but people with smaller yards can also choose a dwarf variety that only grows to about 15 feet tall. The Katsura, named after a town in Tokushima prefecture in Japan, grows in single-stem and multi-stem variations. The leaves that put on an autumn display turning from rich green to yellow to shades of purple. It grows in a rounded or pyramidal shape, and the heart-shaped leaves that line up opposite each other along the branches make it look nice.
The Katsura is a dioecious plant, producing male and female flowers on separate trees. Its flowers aren’t very noticeable, but red flowers show that the plant is male and green flowers show that the plant is female. It grows best when planted in late winter or early spring. It is nicknamed the “caramel tree” for its sweet, caramelized sugar or cotton candy fragrance in the fall.
The katsura tree (Cercidiphyllum japonicum) is a gorgeous ornamental tree prized for its heart-shaped leaves fall foliage and sweet aroma. While katsura trees have many positive attributes, there are also some potential drawbacks to consider before planting this tree in your landscape. This article examines the pros and cons of growing a katsura tree to help you decide if it’s the right choice for your yard.
Pros of Katsura Trees
Beautiful Foliage and Fall Color
The foliage is one of the standout features of the katsura tree. The leaves emerge reddish-purple in spring then turn green for summer before transforming into stunning shades of apricot, orange and yellow in the fall. The foliage provides lovely visual interest through three seasons of the year.
Graceful Shape
Katsuras have an elegant, spreading pyramidal to oval shape with arching branches This gives them a distinctive ornamental look compared to many other shade trees The weeping katsura cultivar has a particularly graceful cascading habit.
Sweet Aroma
As the leaves change color in autumn, they emit a lovely cinnamon-sugar or cotton candy fragrance. This makes the katsura a multi-sensory tree that engages sight and smell.
Shade
The spreading, oval-shaped canopy provides ample cooling shade in summer. The dappled shade cast by the leaves is ideal for shade gardens.
Urban Tolerance
Katsura trees are tolerant of pollution and other urban environmental conditions. They make a good choice for residential landscapes in cities and suburban areas.
Few Pests
Katsuras are relatively pest and disease resistant compared to many other ornamental trees. They require less maintenance and pest control efforts.
Cons of Katsura Trees
Weak Wood
The wood of katsura trees is brittle and prone to breaking, especially in high winds and ice storms. This makes the branches more likely to suffer damage.
Messy Fruit
The tree drops its fruit pods in fall and winter, leaving messy litter on the ground. Frequent cleanup of the seed pods is needed.
Shallow Roots
Katsuras have aggressive surface roots that may crack sidewalks, interfere with lawns, and obstruct foundations. Careful siting is needed.
Size
While not an extremely large tree, katsuras can reach 60 feet tall and 35 feet wide. Make sure you have ample room for this tree to reach its mature size.
Short-lived
The lifespan is relatively short at just 60 to 100 years typically. This is less than many other landscape trees live.
Specific Soil Needs
Katsuras need consistently moist, well-drained, fertile soil. They may struggle in drought-prone sites or compacted clay soil.
Katsura trees offer gorgeous visual appeal through spring, summer and fall. Their ornamental traits like the heart-shaped leaves, magnificent fall color and sweet aroma make them a prized landscape specimen. However, drawbacks like the messy pods, shallow roots, and specific soil needs should be considered.
Carefully assess your climate and growing conditions when deciding if a katsura is right for your yard. With proper siting and care, katsura trees can make a beautiful addition to landscapes in their suitable growing zones. But gardeners should weigh both the pros and cons before choosing this ornamental tree.
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Soil
This tree likes rich, well-drained soil that stays mostly moist and has a pH level of neutral to slightly acidic. However, the Katsura can also tolerate clay soil, acidic soil, and salty soil.
Light
Katsuras can grow in some shade because in the wild they are understory trees, which means they grow under the canopies of bigger, taller trees. If you want to keep the leaves of trees that grow in the south or hotter parts of their range from getting burned in the summer, plant them somewhere that gets some shade. In the North, give them full sun, and they will achieve better fall foliage color.
What Is a Katsura Tree?
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