Known for its standout fall colors, ranging from gold to apricot, and unique cotton candy scent at this time of the year, the Katsura tree is an autumnal favorite at Planting Fields. Native to Japan and China, Katsuras are part of the cultural traditions of east Asia. One of the most prominent tales comes from Japanese folklore, and tells of a beautiful, magic Katsura tree that grew on the moon, the shade of its boughs and leaves creating shadows across the moon’s surface. Legend holds that the gods sent a man, Katsura-Otoko, to slowly cut down the branches of the tree each night, shrinking the shadow of the moon as he prunes until all the branches are gone and the moon is full. The magic Katsura tree quickly grows back, though, starting the cycle over again as shade of the leaves blocks out the moon. Stuck in a cycle of constantly cutting back the tree that then regrows, Katsura-Otoko remains trapped on the moon forever.
According to the fossil record, Katsura trees have existed on earth for 1.8 million years. The species was brought to the United States in 1865 by Thomas Hogg, who sent seeds from Asia to a nursery in New York City, although the varietal of tree did not end up being openly traded until 1965. The ‘Heronswood Globe’ cultivar was introduced in 1991, as a smaller, more compact version of this tree, growing to be about ten to fifteen feet tall, compared to the forty to sixty feet most types of Katsura trees will reach when mature.
Katsura trees have heart-shaped leaves that emerge a bronze, purple color in spring, turn light green to blue-green throughout summer, and end with shades of yellow, gold, and peach throughout fall. It has very small reddish-purple flowers in March and April that mature into banana-shaped seed pods. A collection of Katsura trees was placed outside the Hay Barn in 1981 and the ‘Heronswood Globe’ variety was planted in 2003 in the Synoptic Garden. Visit Planting Fields in the fall to see if you can catch their sweet fragrance and peep their gorgeously hued leaves!
Rebecca Slagle, Historic Landscape Technician