Side by side
Katsura tree or handkerchief tree? How to tell them apart
Cercidiphyllum japonicum · Davidia involucrata
How to tell them apart – katsura tree: smaller, round leaf in opposite pairs; handkerchief tree: in May large white bracts hang beneath the branches like handkerchiefs, broadly heart-shaped, toothed leaves.
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How do you recognise them?
- Katsura tree
- Round, heart-shaped leaves in opposite pairs. In autumn they turn yellow to pink and smell of caramel.
- Compared with handkerchief tree: smaller, round leaf in opposite pairs.
- Handkerchief tree
- In May large white bracts hang beneath the branches like handkerchiefs; broadly heart-shaped, toothed leaves.
| Katsura tree | Handkerchief tree | |
|---|---|---|
| Leaves | Opposite, 5–10 cm, round to heart-shaped with a scalloped edge and palmate veins; young leaves reddish. | Alternate, 8–15 cm, broadly oval to heart-shaped with a long pointed tip, coarsely and sharply toothed; underside usually hairy. |
| Flowering | Inconspicuous reddish flowers before the leaves (March–April). | A round head of purple stamens between two unequal, creamy-white bracts 10–20 cm long, in May (May). |
| Fruit | Small, pod-like fruits in clusters. | Hanging, green to purplish-brown drupes 3–4 cm long with a hard, ridged stone. |
| Bark | Greyish-brown, peeling in strips on older trees; often multi-stemmed. | Orange-brown to grey-brown, in small flakes. |
| Shape and height | Broadleaf tree, 10–20 m | Broadleaf tree, 10–15 m |
| Site | Sun or partial shade, any garden soil, moist to wet | Sun or partial shade, any garden soil, normal |
| Native to Belgium | No, planted | No, planted |
| Good for bees, butterflies and birds | Little | – |
| Poisonous to people and pets | Not known to be poisonous | Not known to be poisonous |
| Pruning months | July–August and November–February | November–March |
What does it mean for your garden?
- Katsura tree grows 10–20 m tall: too big for an ordinary garden, but fine in a large garden, a park or a meadow.
Read on
- Plant profile: Katsura tree
- Plant profile: Handkerchief tree
- Katsura tree: when and how to prune
- Handkerchief tree: when and how to prune
- Identification key
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Identify by feature
This comparison is compiled from the Bladwijzer species pages.