Cercidiphyllum magnificum

Mountain katsura or large-leaf katsura in the Cercidiphyllaceae family grows naturally only in the central mountains of Japan's main island of Honshu.

Some botanists treat mountain katsura as a sub-species of C. janonicum (i.e., C. japonicum subsp. magnificum).

• Leaves are simple, mostly opposite, palmately veined, up to 8 cm long and 5.5 cm broad. The foliage is dimorphic. Short shoots have heart or kidney bean-shaped, palmately veined leaves with round-toothed margins; long shoots bear elliptic to broadly ovate leaves with entire or finely serrate margins. Leaves are larger than those of C. japonicum. They turn a variety of shades of pink, violet and yellow in the fall.
• Species is dioecious, with female trees producing small, inconspicuous flowers with beautiful red filaments in early spring. Male flowers, on separate trees, are about 2 cm long and have red dangling anthers about 8 mm long.
• Fruit is clusters of 2—4 small green pods 1—2 cm long, maturing in fall and turning brown to release flattened winged seeds.
• Note detailed pictures of Cercidiphyllum flowers and fruit in related species C. japonicum.