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Cercidiphyllum japonicum
Also called Katsura
Katsura is a deciduous ornamental tree from China and Japan, grown for its heart-shaped leaves that turn pink and yellow in autumn and give off a caramel scent. It is best in a sheltered, moist, well-drained site where it has room to grow.
Cercidiphyllum japonicum, known as the Katsura (from its Japanese name カツラ, 桂), is a species of flowering tree in the family Cercidiphyllaceae native to China and Japan. It is sometimes called caramel tree for the light caramel smell it emits during leaf fall. It is also sometimes called candyfloss tree because of the scent.
Katsura is a popular ornamental tree in Japan as well as elsewhere. In Japan, it is also grown for its timber, which is used for construction and woodworking.
Several different cultivars are grown, including 'Aureum', 'Heronswood Globe', and 'Ruby'. The following have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit (confirmed 2017):
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Cercidiphyllum japonicum by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
