Persian ironwood

Sun

Full sun to partial shade; autumn colour is usually strongest in sun.

Water

Moderate; keep young trees evenly moist. Established trees tolerate some drought, but prolonged dry conditions can scorch leaves.

Soil

Moist but well-drained soil, preferably slightly acidic to neutral; tolerates clay and some alkaline soils, but not persistent waterlogging.

Height

20-40 ft (6-12 m), occasionally taller with age

Spread

20-30 ft (6-9 m)

Flowers

Small clusters of red stamens without showy petals appear on bare branches in late winter to early spring.

Foliage

Glossy green, oval leaves with wavy, shallowly toothed edges; yellow, orange, red and purple autumn colour.

Growth

Slow to moderate

Care needed

Low

• Drought tolerant
• Disease resistant
• Wildlife

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Easy

Toughness

Very tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   7 ft (2 m)

2. After 1 year

   7 ft (2.3 m)

3. After 2 years

   8 ft (2.5 m)

4. After 3 years

   9 ft (2.8 m)

5. After 5 years

   11 ft (3.3 m)

About 26 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Safe

Growth rate

Slow

• Water deeply during dry spells for the first two or three growing seasons.
• Spread 2-3 in (5-8 cm) of organic mulch over the root area, keeping it clear of the trunk.
• Allow room for the broad mature crown rather than relying on pruning to contain it.
• Feed only if growth is weak or a soil test shows a deficiency; routine heavy feeding is unnecessary.
• Stake only if the root ball moves in wind, and remove the support once roots provide firm anchorage.

Pruning. Prune lightly in late winter while dormant, removing dead, damaged or crossing branches. Establish a single trunk when young if wanted; otherwise retain its natural multi-stemmed form and avoid topping or hard annual pruning.

Autumn

Plant while the soil is workable and moist; in very cold regions, plant in spring instead.

Late winter

Remove damaged or crossing branches and check that ties are not cutting into bark.

Early spring

Renew the mulch, leaving a clear gap around the trunk.

Late spring

Check new growth and soil moisture; investigate persistent yellowing before adding fertiliser.

Summer

Water young trees deeply during dry weather and watch for leaf scorch.

Late autumn

Collect fallen leaves for leaf mould, or leave a loose layer over planted beds.

• Use as a specimen in a lawn or generous bed where its spreading crown can develop fully.
• Place near a path or terrace where the peeling bark can be seen in winter, allowing clearance for mature branches.
• Combine with evergreen shrubs to provide a dark backdrop for autumn foliage.
• Underplant with spring bulbs, ferns and shade-tolerant perennials for a layered woodland garden.

Garden styles it suits: Woodland, Autumn colour, Winter interest, Japanese, Architectural minimal and Low-maintenance.

Plant it with: Japanese forest grass, Hellebores, Snowdrops, Epimedium, Japanese painted fern and Witch hazel.

Wildlife: Branches provide cover and potential nesting sites for birds. Leaf litter shelters small invertebrates; the small flowers are not a major nectar feature.

• Brown leaf edges during hot, dry weather: water deeply, maintain mulch and check that the root zone is not drying out.
• Poor growth or root decline in waterlogged ground: improve drainage or move a young tree to a better-drained position.
• Yellow leaves with greener veins on strongly alkaline soil: check soil pH and drainage; use a suitable chelated iron treatment if iron deficiency is confirmed.
• Late frost damage to young leaves or flowers: avoid frost pockets when planting; established trees usually produce replacement growth without treatment.

Not known to be toxic to people, cats, dogs or horses. No particular poisonous part is recognised, but species-specific animal safety information is limited; do not treat the leaves, bark or seeds as food.

• Witch hazel (Hamamelis species)

  Both have broadly oval leaves and strong autumn colour, but witch hazels have conspicuous ribbon-like flower petals; Persian ironwood has small red stamens without showy petals and develops patchy peeling bark.

• Large fothergilla (Fothergilla major)

  Fothergilla has similar autumn foliage but remains a shrub and bears conspicuous white, bottlebrush-like flowers in spring rather than small red flowers on bare winter branches.

Parrotia honours the physician and naturalist Friedrich Wilhelm Parrot, persica refers to Persia, and ironwood describes the hard, dense wood.

Propagation. Grow from seed using warm followed by cold stratification; germination can be slow and irregular. Named cultivars must be propagated vegetatively, usually by grafting or specialist cutting techniques, to remain true to type.

Accepted botanical name

Parrotia persica

Native range

Iran and Transcaucasus.

Measured

Average height 665 cm.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0) and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.