A tree for all seasons
A beautiful Persian ironwood at VanDusen Botanical Garden.
December colour at the Washington Arboretum.
Summer foliage.
Impressive fall colour.
Their yellow fall foliage also turns red, purple & orange.
Persian ironwoods are a popular municipality tree.
A city grove of Persian ironwoods in North Delta in October.
Nature's gold.
Beautiful branching structure.
Deep red fall colour from a city tree.
Leaves start to change colour in October.
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Common Name: Persian ironwood
Botanical Name: Parrotia persica Form: upright with spreading canopy Family: Hamamelidaceae Genus: Parrotia Species: persica Plant Type: deciduous tree with a single or multi-stemmed shrub Mature Size: trees: 20’ to 40’ x 20’ to 30’, shrubs: 15’ Growth: slow Origin: Northern Iran Hardiness Zone: 4 to 9 Foliage: 2-4”, asymmetric, ovoid, wavy margins, red new growth, green in summer, impressive fall colours Flowers: no petals but many red stamens surrounded by brown sepals Feb, March prior to leafing out Fruit: 2 seeds in a capsule, not ornamental Bark: peeling bark reveals tan, white or green patches underneath Exposure: full sun for spectacular autumn colors Soil: tolerant of most, prefers slightly acidic, well-drained Uses: street tree, accent, winter interest, fall colour, specimen, cottage, urban gardens Attracts: bees Invasive Tendencies: none Tolerates: clay, alkaline, air pollution, tolerant to drought & heat once established Propagation: semi-hardwood & softwood cuttings Pruning: generally, not needed Awards: Award of Garden Merit of the Royal Horticultural Society Problems: no serious pests or diseases Comments: The Persian ironwood tree, Parrotia persica, is gaining popularity because it’s got something going on no matter what the season. It’s toughness and versatility has also made it a favorite of many municipalities. It handles pollution, heat, drought and doesn’t seem to mind clay and alkaline soils. This medium sized, ornamental, low-maintenance tree has good bones and with its attractive spreading branches that create a pleasing canopy. Combined with its pinkish shiny bark that flakes off to reveal a patchwork of pale pink, soft yellow, with shades of cinnamon and green, it is a perfect winter garden addition. Persian ironwoods are grown as single trunk trees and as multi-stemmed shrubs. When grown as a tree, they can grow from 20’ to 40’ tall with a canopy of 20’ to 30’, but shrubs only grow to 15’. Although Persian ironwoods grow best in slightly acidic, well-drained soil with medium moisture, they adapt to warm, and dry soils once they are established. The Persian ironwood is not a conservative, neat looking tree, not because of its branching habit, but because of its foliage. Their leaves are lopsided with wavy and undulating edges (margins) like those of their witch-hazel cousins. The foliage of the Persian ironwood goes through remarkable colour transformations during the growing season. New foliage is bright red, which matures to a deep shiny green during the summer. In autumn the magic begins as their leaves turn into different shades of yellow coloured with pinks, purples and oranges. Full sun is critical for a good fall display. Although the flowers bear no petals, they do feature four small, rounded sepals that surround a cluster of, densely packed deep red stamens. The flowers are quite conspicuous as they appear on naked stems in early spring before their leaves emerge. 
Small flowers occur on leafless stems in early spring.
Flowers appear in early spring before the leaves.
The mottled trunk adds interest to winter gardens.
No two Persian ironwood bark colours are the same.
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As the bark peels, it reveals different colours underneath.
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For spectacular fall colour, plant in full sun.
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