How to grow Katsura Tree

Cercidiphyllum japonicum

Pot on as required and over winter under protection for at least the first two years.

Plant out in full sun in the autumn, water well during the next growing season.

Katsura may have a shrubby habit, or be a tree with a single stem. This seems to be determined from the start, as pruning has little effect in trying to make a ‘shrub-type’ into a single stemmed ‘tree-type’

Growing Katsura tree from seed

Sow using a mixture of vermiculite and potting compost to give an open mix. Sow on the surface and cover with a fine layer of vermiculite. Good germination rate, so only a few seeds needed
Does not need a period of cold to germinate

Soil temperature should be kept higher than 12°C / 54°F to ensure good germination.

Transplanting Katsura tree

Disturb the plants as little as possible but grow on under protection in bright but not sunny conditions. Pot on when necessary using a gritty mix
Pot on as roots show through the holes in the pot. Do not allow the roots to become pot bound and damage the main tap root
Plant out into the final position in the autumn and water well during the next growing season as the tree establishes

Ensure that temperatures are mild and all chance of frost has passed before planting out, as Katsura tree is a hardy plant.

Seed Saving Katsura tree

The fruit is a small curved green pod

How long does Katsura tree take to grow?

These estimates for how long Katsura tree takes to sprout, grow and harvest are from real observations from real gardeners, right around the world.

Days to Germination How long does it take Katsura tree to germinate?
8 days

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Days to Transplant How long until I can plant out Katsura tree?
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Average days | Min days | Max days (0)

Days to Maturity How long until Katsura tree is ready for harvest / bloom?
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Total Growing Days How long does it take to grow Katsura tree?
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Katsura tree Etymology

‘Cercidiphyllum’ means leaves like red bud tree (cercis)
japonicum from Japan

Katsura tree Folklore & Trivia

The leaves have beautiful autumn colour dark red, orange and yellow gold, as the colours form in the leaves, they also smell of burnt toffee

Other names for Katsura tree

Katsuratree

Footnotes


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