#Vancouverflora 001:
Cercidiphyllum japonicum
Katsura/Japanese Katsura
If you recently walked down a street in Vancouver and encountered the sweet scent of crème brûlée or cinnamon, you were either in the vicinity of a nice French restaurant or near a Katsura tree.
The Katsura, also known as Cercidiphyllum japonicum amongst plant enthusiasts, is a deciduous tree native to Japan and China. You can recognize a Katsura tree by its cute heart-shaped leaves. The tree can also be distinguished by its fall colours on display from late September to mid October, with the leaves ranging in colour from deep reddish-purple to copper and golden yellow. The sweet scent exuding from the leaves is most noticeable when the leaves are dry and yellow. For the best sensory enjoyment, pick up a handful of dried leaves, crumple them up and breath deeply!
In Vancouver, Katsura trees are often grown as street trees but they also make great specimens for private landscapes. When mature, Katsura trees can reach up to 22m high with a 10m wide canopy. If you are interested in planting one of these in your garden but don’t have the room there are dwarf and weeping cultivars available locally. A popular dwarf variety is ‘Heronswood Globe’.
Several great locations to find these trees in the city are Pine Street at 7th Ave on the east side of the street, North False Creek along the seawall, and according to the ‘Trees of Vancouver’ book there is a grouping of older Katsura trees on Brightwood Place (opposite the Fraserview Golf Course entrance).
The combination of golden yellow leaves and intoxicating smell are worth going in search of to get you in the mood for autumn!
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Laura Macdonald is a UBC-MLA graduate and Landscape Designer for a Landscape Architecture firm in Vancouver. She has actively been photographing and helping map the remarkable plant life in Vancouver. To help add to the gallery of local flora hashtag #Vancouverflora and follow on Instagram and Twitter @Vancouverflora.
