Cercidiphyllum japonicum Tree

Cercidiphyllum japonicum is a medium sized tree with fabulous colour-changing, heart shaped leaves. This Katsura tree has copper-toned green foliage that turns stunning shades of yellow, orange, pink, purple and red in autumn and releases a delicious, distinctive caramel scent. As new heart shaped leaves emerge in spring, they are supplemented by small, subtle flowers. As a a dioecious species, trees either have all female or all male flowers, varying slightly in appearance.

With an upswept habit and elegant structure, this Katsura tree will grow to 6 x 4 metres in 20 years. Cercidiphyllum japonicum will grow on most soils, with acidic soil producing the most vibrant displays. It prefers sun or light shade in a slightly sheltered position to protect from late frosts.

Cercidiphyllum japonicum has received the RHS Award of Garden Merit and is one of our favourites for the gorgeous leaves, particularly if near a path where you can walk on the fallen leaves to release a waft of caramel! The smell is reminiscent of candyfloss and so it is often referred to as a Candyfloss tree.

AKA Katsura tree, Candyfloss tree, Caramel tree, Japanese Judas tree