I have found this to be a very slow growing tree. It has beautiful changing leaf color through three seasons. It has a shallow root system, needs water in dry spells, and would benefit from a mulch. Lovely tree if one has the patience for it.

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There is only one species of Katsuratree (Cercidiphyllum) in the world that is native to both Japan and China, and it is the only member in its own Family of Cercidiphyllaceae. The Chinese variety is "sinense" and tends to grow larger. It is the Japanese variety that is sold by some larger, diverse nurseries in the USA. It is not commonly planted in the US, as I have only seen a few at estates, arboretums, city parks, golf courses, campuses, and one at an elementary school in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic Regions. It is a high quality, clean, neat, medium-sized tree that grows about 1.5 to 2 feet/year. It is somewhat difficult to transplant, so it should be done in spring. Its rounded leaves of about 2 to 4 inches long and wide do resemble those of the Redbud (Cercis) and display a good yellow-orange fall color. It usually grows about 30 to 50 feet high in landscapes. It is dioecious having separate male and female plants. The male flowers have numerous stamens and the female flowers have four reddish, fringed sepals, both are small and inconspicuous flowers in early spring. I have not yet seen, so far, any of the brown pods that female trees can bear. It has a nice brown bark that is slightly shaggy. It must have a good quality, moist soil and it does not do well with drought. The specimen at the school lost all its leaves one dry summer, but it came back the next year.

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