Katsura Heritage Tree in Laurelhurst Park (Phyllis Reynolds)

By Phyllis Reynolds

 The West Side tree has a known planting date—1955 (so let’s say it’s about 60 years old). The East Side tree (near the horseshoe area in the southeast corner of the park) has an unknown planting date, as far as I know, but it must have been around 1955 because its size (11’7” circumference and 70’ height) is so similar to the West Side tree (12’4” circumference and about 60’ height). Both of them were planted way before katsuras became so popular in the city.

The katsura (Cercidiphyllum japonicum) is in the Order Saxifragales—a primitive Order, phylogenetically speaking. This Order includes the Hamamelidaceae (hazels), the Altingiaceae (sweetgums), and the Cercidiphyllaceae (with only one species: Cercidiphyllum japonicum). Katsuras are native to the temperate forests of Japan, China, and Korea. They can become large in the wild—up to 90’ tall. They have excellent timber that is much used in wood carving and high-class furniture.

Small heart-shaped leaves with red petioles identify the tree. It is dioecious (each tree is either a male or a female). The Vista Ave. tree is a boy and the Laurelhurst Park tree is a girl. The flower and fruit are inconspicuous. Often possessing several trunks, the tree has gorgeous fall foliage—a mix of orange and yellow (much like its distant relative the sweetgum).

(http://friendsoftrees.org)