Kindly regarded as one of the world's most beautiful and modest of shade trees, the katsura tree has elegant heart-shaped leaves, red fall foliage and persistent coppery-tan seedpods that decorate the bare winter branches. A deciduous tree native to China and Japan, it is overall an oval-canopied tree but some specimens can become quite widely spreading with sprawling branches. Its gray-brown bark exfoliates in vertical bands, adding winter and spring interest.
The heart-shaped leaves first emerge bronzed before becoming a modest green. Each leaf blade has tiny scalloped edges and are usually held in opposite pairs on the branches. In early spring before leaves emerge, flowers adorn thsi dioecious species - red female flowers occur on a separate tree than those of the green male blossoms. The female tree yields many small green pods that ripen to a coppery tan and split open to shed the winged seeds. In autumn the foliage becomes a lovely mottled kaleidoscope of yellow, orange-red and dark red. The dropping leaves emit a sweet fragrance that is lightly honey- or sugar-scented.
Grow katsura tree in full or partial sun in a fertile, deep, moist but well-draining soil. Avoid highly alkaline soils and position this tree in a spot protected from drying cold winter winds (thus a tree not always favorable for the American Midwest). It needs ample moisture to establish when young; it does not transplant well. Use this often multi-stemmed or wide-branched tree as a specimen park, cemetery or campus shade tree. It may be a street tree only if it has rich soil and ample room. (source: learn2grow.com)
Genus - Cercidiphyllum
Species - Japonicum
Common name - Katsura Tree
Pre-Treatment - Not-required
Hardiness zones - 5 - 8
Height - 40'-65' / 12 - 20 m
Spread - 40'-50' / 12 - 15 m
Plant type - Medium Tree
Vegetation type - Deciduous
Exposure - Full Sun, Partial Shade
Growth rate - Medium
Soil PH - Acidic, Neutral
Soil type - Clay, Loam, Well drained
Water requirements - Average Water
Landscape uses - Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Street Trees
Germination rate - 80%
Bloom season - Spring
Leaf / Flower color - Spring - Purple, Light Green, Bronze, summer - Green, autumn - Yellow, Gold, Orange Red / Red, Green