World Plants

Parrotia persica (Persian Parrotia)

Michael's Opinion

This is one of my top trees, great from, interesting bark, beautiful autumn colour and well behaved in character. Coming from the mountainous regions of Iran (once called Persia, hence the name) it is a tree that is very tough and thus requires little maintenance. That said a little judicious pruning to show off the brilliant peeling bark makes it just that much more attractive in the landscape.

Botanical Information

Family	Hamamelidaceae
Genus	Parrotia
Species	persica
Category	Woody
Type	Tree (deciduous)
Origin	Native to mountains of Iran (which was called Persia). The genus was named in memory of F.W. Parrot, a German scientist.
Pronunciation

Details

USDA Hardiness Zone	8
USDA Hardiness Ref.
Canadian Hardiness Zone	7a
Canada Hardiness Ref.
RHS Hardiness Zone	H5 - H7
RHS Hardiness Ref.
Temperature (°C)	-34 - (-9)
Temperature (°F)	-30 - 15
Height	6 - 12 m
Spread	4 - 9 m
Growth	Medium
Flowering Period	March, April

Description and Growing Information

General Description	A small to medium size tree, with smooth bark when young that exfoliates with age. A popular accent tree in the landscape and well suited to intense urban
ID Characteristic	Vegetative buds are stalked and brown while the flower buds are rounded and brown- black . Showy, peeling bark on multi-trunked or single stems and red flowers before leaves appear, which are alternate, simple and deciduous are simple identification characteristics of this plant. The reddish-purple new growth turning dark green to yellow, orange and red in autumn is also a significant feature .
Shape	Small to medium sized tree with upright branching.
Landscape	It is a perfect choice for a small garden, restricted spaces or as a resilient street tree. An excellent looking tree all year round but definitely most eye catching in the autumn. It's a tree with good form, beautiful foliage, bark colour and pest resistance.
Propagation	Propagated from seeds and cuttings. Over a period of several months seed requires cool and warm treatments. Cuttings are the easier route and should be taken in early summer, treated with rooting hormone, then rooted under mist. They should be potted on when the next season’s new growth has begun to emerge and grown on in the nursery through one winter before final placement in the garden.
Cultivation	It does best and is most vibrant in autumn if planted in full sun, however it does tolerate light shade. Parrotia persica grows in almost any well drained, loamy, acid soil and does well in heavy clay but must be well drained. It is best planted in early spring in a sheltered location,
Pests	A pest free tree, though some cases of Japanese beetle have been reported in the United States. In the United Kingdom Phytophthora ramorum was reported on trees, this causes twig dieback and necrotic spots.
Notable Specimens	Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, Flushing, New York, United States of America. The Gardens of Fanshawe College, London, Ontario, Canada. Westonbirt, The National Arboretum, Tetbury, Gloucestershire, England. Lanhydrock Gardens, Cornwall, England.
Habitat	Native to northern Iran in the Alborz mountains.
Bark/Stem Description	Bark on young trees is smooth grey reminiscent of the bark of beeches. As it matures, the bark peels and develops exfoliating grey, green, white, brown patches.
Flower/Leaf Bud Description	Larger terminal buds than the lateral buds, however the lateral buds are more elongated. The buds are 4 mm in diameter, brown to dark brown, black in the winter months. The vegetative buds are stalked and tomentose with 2 outer protective scales.
Leaf Description	The, strongly veined leaves are simple, alternate, 7-12 cm long, ovate to obovate, wavy toothed, dentate margin with a wedge-shaped base.They are dark green above, paler and slightly fuzzy below turning yellow to red in autumn with a variation of colours often displayed at the same time on the same leaf.
Flower Description	In late winter, prior to leaf emergence, 3-4 mm, ruby red flowers appear that lack petals; and look more like spider-like because of the clusters of ruby red stamens, these are found along the naked branches.
Fruit Description	A capsule containing two compartments with a seed in each. Capsules open to expose shiny brown seeds when mature.
Colour Description	In autumn the foliage produces a beautiful display of yellow-gold, orange, and deep reds, while during the summer months it is a rich green.
Texture Description	Medium to medium-fine in winter.