Katsura Tree
Cercidiphyllum japonicum · Cercidiphyllaceae · 계수나무
How to spot it
Fragrant heart-shaped leaves that turn apricot in fall.
(original photo, new tab)Leaf · Photo Chhe · Public domain 
(original photo, new tab)Leaf · Photo Famartin · CC BY-SA 4.0
Look
- Leaves
- Short shoots bear broad heart- to kidney-shaped leaves 5-10 cm long, with blunt-toothed to smooth margins. New leaves emerge reddish bronze, turn blue-green in summer, and become yellow to apricot in fall.
- Flowers
- Small flowers appear before the leaves in early spring and are not ornamental.
- Fruit
- Narrow pod-like fruits in groups of 2-4 hold many small, flat, winged seeds.
- Bark
- Young bark has horizontal markings; the bark of old trees peels in shaggy scales.
Where it grows
- Native to
- Found in China and Japan.