Japanese Katsura Pendulum

Synonyms: Cercidiphyllum japonicum "Morioka Weeping’

Japanese Katsura Pendulum (Cercidiphyllum magnificum f. pendulum) – a form of Japanese katsura. It was discovered on Honshu Island and several trees were planted near an ancient temple in the city of Morioka in Iwate Prefecture (Japan). In 1835 the temple was reconstructed and all planted trees were destroyed, but they soon regenerated from shoots. One of the trees has survived to the present day; it is now about 180 years old and the trunk circumference is 313 cm. In 1981 it was introduced to the Arnold Arboretum (Boston, USA). The form was awarded the Award of Garden Merit by the Royal Horticultural Society.

It is a small tree 4.5-7.5 m in height. Branches pendulous. Bark dark gray, fissured.

Leaves heart-shaped, 5-10 cm, dark bluish-green above, whitish below with red veins.

Flowers small, inconspicuous, unisexual, several together in reduced, compact racemes in the leaf axils on short shoots. Male flowers lack a perianth, consisting of a cluster of stamens. Stamens number 8-13, with long thin pendent filaments and reddish long anthers. Female flowers consist of a single carpel, tapering above into a long purplish-red style with a rounded stigma. Flowers before leafing or at the beginning of leaf emergence, in April-May.

Fruits – aggregate, consisting of several pod-like, many-seeded, claw-shaped curved, glossy, dehiscent single-leaflets. Seeds small, winged.

Hardiness zone: 4b-7b (-26°C).

Location: sun-loving, but can grow in partial shade. Moisture-loving, relatively drought-tolerant.

Soil: not demanding of fertility, grow on ordinary garden soils, but most decorative on well-drained, fertile, slightly acidic loamy soil.

Soil mix: leaf mold, peat-compost and sand in the ratio 2:1:1.

Planting: Do not tolerate burying the root collar, which should be taken into account when planting, especially with large specimen plants.

Care: In hot and dry summers, watering is recommended to maintain ornamental value. Winter hardiness is fairly high, but the root circles are recommended to be mulched for winter with peat, peat-compost or wood chips, and also with a layer of fallen leaves.

Pruning: tolerates pruning well

Propagation: propagates well by green cuttings and by seed. About 60% of summer cuttings root successfully. Germination in the soil does not exceed 10-20%. Spring sowing is preferable with seeds covered to a depth of 0.5-1.0 cm, lightly tamped and mulched with sawdust or peat mixed with sand. In spring and summer, regular feeding with mineral fertilizers is useful at the following rates: 10 g nitrogen, 15 g phosphorus and 20 g potassium per 1 sq. m of plantings, or apply the complete fertilizer "Kemira-Universal". Overall the plants develop fairly quickly, and with good cultivation their height by the end of the first summer can reach 40 cm. In mid-September, first-year seedlings should be transplanted at a spacing of 15–20 cm.

Pests and diseases: practically not affected.

Usage: ornamental for its original weeping crown, decorative leaves, brightly colored both at emergence and in autumn before falling. Used for solitary and group plantings in gardens and parks.