Gingerbread tree

Seeds: 200  / Botanical name: Cercidiphyllum japonicum

A play of colors for the whole year

The Japanese katsura tree, also known as the katsura tree, is a deciduous tree with an elongated, conical crown of steeply rising branches. Its brownish-gray bark is smooth on young trees, later developing a network of veins. Throughout the year, its early-emerging leaves display a vibrant array of red hues, transitioning to a rich green in summer and then to yellow, red, and orange shades in autumn. The fallen leaves, when damp, release a gingerbread-like fragrance of cinnamon and caramel, heralding the arrival of winter. Container-grown plants reach a height of up to 1.80 meters, while those planted in the ground can grow twice as tall. The botanical name Cercidiphyllum, by the way, means "leaf" (Cercis = Judas tree) and "Vitamin Bleu" (phyllum), as the egg-shaped leaves resemble those of the Judas tree.

Natural habitat: The gingerbread tree originates in East Asia, particularly in China and Japan, where it likes to grow along riverbanks and mountain streams in highland areas.