persistent. Seed winged at both ends. Cultivation Katsura is grown as an ornamental tree for its delicate heart-shaped leaves and bright autumn colour, a mix of bright yellow, pink and orange-red. Where conditions are suitable, it is fast-growing, but it is very sensitive to drought and needs deep, permanently moist soil. Under drought conditions, the species will abscise its leaves; however refoliation may occur once water is made available. Of particular interest is the scent produced by the leaves in the autumn, resembling burnt brown sugar or cotton candy. Trees in cultivation, like those in natural environments, tend to sucker from the base when young and become multi-stemmed at maturity; pruning to maintain a single stem is not advised. Within Cercidiphyllum japonicum, several cultivars with pendulous branches are grown for their unique weeping habit. Two general types exist. Those with a strong central leader, or excurrent growth, are all one clone originating in Morioka City, Japan. This cultivar is known as 'Morioka Weeping' and can reach over in height. The other type fails to form a central leader and is rounded in habit. There are several clones of this, including 'Amazing Grace' and 'Tidal Wave'. Both the species C. japonicum and the weeping form C. japonicum f. pendulum have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. Uses Katsura wood is often used to make gobans, i.e. boards for the game Go. Fossil record The genus is known from fossils at the end of the Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) of North America, and the Cenozoic of North America, Europe and Asia. Gallery References Sources External links Cercidiphyllum images at the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University Plant Image Database Dosman, Michael. "The Katsure Collection." Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University website, Fall 2012. Accessed 1 May 2020. Dioecious plants Go equipment Japanese woods Saxifragales Saxifragales genera Extant Late Cretaceous first appearances