Katsura

(Cercidiphyllum japonicum)

Japan

A genus of two species of plants, the sole members of the Cercidiphyllaceae. They are native to eastern Asia, in Japan (Honshu and Hokkaido) and China (Shanxi southwest to Sichuan and east to Zhejiang). Plants from China were at one time separated as C. japonicum var. sinense, but no consistent difference between Japanese and Chinese origins has been found.

Cercidiphyllum japonicum, can reach 40-45 m tall and have trunks to 2 m diameter, and is among the largest hardwood trees in Asia. This tree has a unique feature in autumn – its foliage smells strongly of burnt sugar or candyfloss for about a week, after the leaves loose their chlorophyll and turn yellow. The aroma is probably caused by esterification of sugars in the leaves, and it scents the air around the tree on warm autumn afternoons.