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Cercidiphyllum japonicum
Senescing leaves of Cercidiphyllum japonicum (katsura) smell of burnt sugar, a fragrance that pervades the surrounding woodland in autumn and during prolonged summer drought.
Cercidiphyllum japonicum is a dioecious species (separate female and male plants) noted for its strongly ascending stems and clean, coppery brown leaves that colour beautifully in autumn. Although the katsura is a native of temperate Asia, it is known in gardens primarily by the relatively uniform descendants of Japanese plants. Recent UBC Botanical Garden acquisitions from China show the species is variable. Some have startling red new growth, while others, glaucous blue leaves. The fossil record shows Cercidiphyllum was native to western North America during the Miocene Epoch (23 to 5 million years ago).
