The Katsura tree is a deciduous one that matures to a height of around 50 feet and grows at a moderate to rapid rate. A dwarf-sized variation that reaches a height of roughly 15 feet is another option for homeowners with smaller properties. This type is well-suited for an average urban or suburban property.
There are single-stem and multi-stem varieties of the Katsura, which gets its name from a town in the Japanese prefecture of Tokushima. The foliage that transforms from a vibrant green to a yellow to a purple spectacle in the fall. With its heart-shaped leaves arranged opposite one another along the branches, it has a rounded or pyramidal plant form that gives it an appealing appearance.
Being a dioecious plant, the katsura tree produces flowers on different trees for both male and female flowers. Although it has small, unimpressive blooms, the male plant is identified by its red blossoms, and the female plant is identified by its green flowers. Planting it in late winter or early spring promotes optimal growth. Because of its delightful scent in the fall, reminiscent of caramelized sugar or cotton candy, it is known as the “caramel tree”.
Katsura Tree Overview
Common Name | Katsura tree, Japanese Katsura |
Botanical Name | Cercidiphyllum japonicum |
Family | Cercidiphyllaceae |
Plant Type | Tree |
Mature Size | 40 to 60 ft. tall, 25 to 60 ft. wide |
Sun Exposure | Full, partial |
Soil Type | Well-drained |
Soil pH | Neutral to slightly acidic |
Bloom Time | Spring |
Flower Color | Red, green |
Hardiness Zones | 4 to 8 |
Native Area | Asia |
Katsura Tree Care
The following are the primary maintenance needs for developing Katsura trees.
- Because katsura trees prefer rich soil, before planting, incorporate compost into the soil.
- This tree thrives on soil that is consistently moist. To assist preserve moisture after planting, cover the earth’s surface with a 3-inch layer of mulch.
- Grow in either full sun or light shade.
- Ideal for zones 4 through 8
Light Requirements
Because katsuras are understory trees—trees that grow beneath the canopies of larger, higher trees—they can be cultivated in partial shade. If your tree comes from a hotter or more southern part of its range, place it somewhere with some shade to keep its leaves from burning in the summer. If they receive full sun in the North, their fall foliage will turn out nicer.
Soil
This tree prefers enriched soil with a pH of neutral to slightly acidic, that is well-drained, relatively moist, and rich. But the Katsura tree can also withstand salty, acidic, and clay soil.
Watering
Katsuras require an inch of water each week on average, but in arid regions, they could require more frequent watering. Water the soil as needed to maintain a damp but not soggy texture until the tree is firmly planted. Once planted, it can withstand some drought.
Temperature and Environment
This tree is suitable for zones 4 through 8, and it is not too particular about humidity or temperature. Steer clear of overhead watering during rainy seasons or in humid locations to prevent leaf mildew.
Fertilization
Apply a higher nitrogen mix fertilizer (20-20-20 NPK) to recently planted saplings. Use a balanced general-purpose fertilizer (10-10-10) as the tree grows and gets established, and make sure the fertilizer reaches the roots by thoroughly soaking the ground afterwards. Fertilizers come in granular, liquid, and stake varieties; just follow the directions on the packaging. Fertilize once a year, ideally in late fall or early spring, before the buds appear.
Types of Katsura Trees
- The Katsura tree known as “Red Fox” (Cercidiphyllum japonicum ‘Rotfuchs’): One of the most vivid varieties, this mid-size cultivar (30 feet tall, 16 feet wide) has purplish-bronze leaves in the spring, greenish-bronze leaves in the summer, and orange-bronze leaves in the fall.
- Chercidiphyllum japonicum ‘Ruby’ Katsura: a little tree that grows to a height of thirty feet and has purple-blue foliage.
- “Ascension of Dawes” The 50-foot-tall Katsura (Cercidiphyllum japonicum ‘Dawes Ascension’) is on the taller side of the species. It features columnar leaves that turn apricot yellow in the fall after having a columnar shape for the first few decades of its life.
- The following dwarf kinds are available: ‘Heronswood Globe’, ‘Glowball’, ‘Boyd’s Dwarf’, ‘Herkenrode Dwarf’, and ‘Kruckeberg Dwarf’. The smallest variety, reaching a maximum height of 8 to 15 feet
- Cercidiphyllum japonicum ‘Pendulum’, the weeping Katsura tree, is 15 to 25 feet tall and has a similar to somewhat greater spread. The smaller variety of branches droop down to offer visual interest.
Pruning
Completely developed Apart from occasional seasonal upkeep and cleaning, katsuras usually don’t require trimming. When the tree is young, start to shape its growth. When the leaves have fallen in the late fall or early spring, before the plant generates sap, is when pruning is most effective. Eliminate crowded or crossed branches. To give space beneath the tree, you can also trim low branches—no more than one or two a year, please. The tree should only require pruning every three to five years once it has established itself. Every spring, give the tree a checkup and prune off any dead branches or suckers.
Propagating Katsura Trees
Although stem cuttings or suckers taken in late spring can also be used to establish katsura trees, seeds are the most effective method of propagation. A healthy softwood or semi-hardened stem is the source of a stem cutting. Cut a leaf node that is four to eight inches long and contains four to eight leaf nodes using sterilized scissors or pruners. Take out every leaf, leaving only the two sets at the top.
You will have a higher success rate in propagation if the Katsura tree has suckers, or offshoots, sprouting from its base. One inch below the sucker, make a notch with a sharp, sterile blade. With the basal cutting, you will extract some bark when you pull or peel off the sucker. The tree will be protected from further harm by notching, which also increases the likelihood of a full recovery. Too much peeling bark can harm a tree if you forget to notch the trunk.
Cuttings can be used to propagate katsura trees. How to do it is as follows:
- After obtaining your cutting or sucker, you will require nursery pots filled with a mixture of garden and potting soil, a clear plastic bag, and rooting hormone (if desired).
- Dip the exposed nodes and cut end into the rooting hormone if you’re using it.
- Make a hole in each pot with your finger that is deep enough to bury two or more of the stem cutting’s nodes. To make sure the stem is in contact with the soil, gently press soil around it.
- Place the plant above a pebble tray and give it plenty of water until it drips out of the drainage holes.
- In order to encourage roots, wrap the pot and its cutting in a clear plastic bag. Up to six weeks may pass before roots begin to form. To encourage some air circulation, you can take the plastic off for one to two hours each day. However, after that, you should reapply the bag and make sure the soil is moist until new growth begins.
- Avert direct sunlight and place the plant in indirect light.
- After a year, plant in the ground. Fall is ideal since the plant is getting closer to dormancy and less likely to experience transplant shock. This allows the roots time to grow underground prior to the onset of the spring growth cycle.
How to Grow Katsura Trees From Seed?
When cultivated from seeds, katsura trees have the highest growth success rate.
- Harvest seeds from dropping pods in the autumn. When the seed pod is newly dropped, germination is virtually guaranteed.
- For optimal results, sow the seeds right away inside in nursery pots.
- If you purchase seeds from a nursery or another source, they should be stratified for eight days in the refrigerator under a wet cloth. Another technique is to keep the seeds moist on a paper towel and expose them to light for 15 hours every day for three weeks.
- In a pot filled with moistened all-purpose soil or seed starter mix, plant two to three seeds 1/4 inch deep. To keep the moisture in and encourage germination, cover the pot with clear plastic wrap.
- The pot should be placed in a well-lit, indirect area. Typically, germination takes eight to twelve days.
- Before putting the plant in the ground, let it to grow for a minimum of four to six weeks, or wait until spring, when the risk of frost has passed.
Overwintering
For the first several winters, wrap the trunk of the sapling with a commercial-grade tree wrap to protect it from the winter sun. After the leaves have gone, wrap it in the fall and take it out in the summer when the new growth has appeared.
Common Pests & Plant Diseases
This plant doesn’t have many pests or diseases. In extremely humid, warm regions, it may develop powdery mildew. This mold resembles light, velvety white patches on leaves or light, velvety white coatings. To avoid wetting the leaves and to stop mold growth, water the trunk and the area around the drip line at ground level. In order to lessen powdery mildew, you can either apply a fungicide or remove and discard severely afflicted leaves or branches. Katsura trees are especially resistant to deer.
Common Problems With Katsura Tree
Katsura trees are powerful trees with few growth-related problems. Selecting a good planting location is arguably the most important aspect in preserving health.
Browning Leaf Edges, Yellowing Leaves
Your tree may develop leaf scorch if the centers of the leaves are browning before the fall season and the leaf edges are turning brown. Leaf scorch can be caused by excessive sun exposure, strong winds, and dry weather conditions. Rather than in the fall, you can notice the leaves falling in late July. This tree’s location is important for avoiding leaf scorch; it can take use of wind shelter from nearby buildings or other trees, as well as some shade from larger nearby trees. You may also stop leaf scorch from getting worse by giving your tree enough mulch and deep watering it.
Split Tree Bark
Environmental stressors including temperature swings, strong winds, or overfertilized autumn growth can cause bark to crack. Take care not to remove any of the good bark that is still present when you trim off any dead bark. Water deeply but avoid letting the soil become too wet, and apply mulch made of organic wood particles once every two years.
Sudden Tree Wilt
Abrupt tree wilting may result from a fungal or water-mold infection-induced stem canker. Abruptly, the leaves will get brown, begin to wither, and eventually fall off. The most likely causes of this infection are excessive rain, dampness, or overwatering. The disease may have started in the soil’s subsurface roots and root crown. It might be hard for the tree to survive at this point in its decline. You can cut back on watering, but the only thing that can predict if your plant will recover in the upcoming growing season is time.