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Persian Ironwood - Parrotia persica
Hamamelidaeceae: Witch Hazel Family
The genus Parrotia includes only this one species. Other members of the
family Hamamelidaceae commonly found in cultivation include
witch hazel,
sweet gum
(Liquidambar styraciflua), witch-alder (Fothergilla major) and loropetalum
(Loropetalum chinense).
This specimen was photographed at The Morton Arboretum at
Lisle, Illinois, USA.
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Grown from a planting, this Persian Ironwood is
approximately 24 years old
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Persian ironwood is a
small deciduous tree that grows to 30 ft.
Grown for its distinctive spreading habit,
its brilliant autumn foliage display, its
showy exfoliating bark and its curious late
winter ruby red flowers, specimens usually
have a single, relatively short trunk which
forks near the ground, and a rounded crown
composed of wide spreading, horizontal,
arching, or even drooping branches. Older
specimens develop a crossing and overlapping
pattern of branches and may have crown
spreads greater than their heights. In this,
it resembles some Alders, close relatives.
Persian ironwood is tolerant of drought. It
prefers cool climates and grows best in USDA
zones 6 and 7. Propagation: Seeds require
pretreatment before they will germinate and
germination may take more than a year. It is
best planted as sedd directly in a cold
frame or outdoor container. Persian ironwood
is easy to propagate from cuttings taken in
spring or summer and rooted under mist. |
Persian ironwoods in their native forest
habitat have upright, ascending branches.
The leaves of Persian ironwood look much
like those of the related American tree,
witch hazel
(Hamamelis virginiana). They are alternate,
coarsely wavy edge toothed above the middle
and 3-5 in (7.6-12.7 cm) long. The lustrous
dark green leaves turn bright yellow, orange
and purplish red in the fall. Persian
ironwood is attractive when not in leaf,
too: the smooth bark on the trunk and larger
branches peels and flakes, creating a
mottled patchwork of green, beige, white and
gray blotches. The flowers are a showy
curiosity. They have no petals; what you see
are spiderlike clusters of ruby red stamens
borne along the naked branches in late
winter, before the leaves emerge. Several
cultivars are available. 'Pendula' gets only
5 ft (1.5 m) tall and 10 ft (3.1 m) wide
with spreading branches that droop at the
ends.
Persian ironwood is native to northern Iran
and the Caucasus of Georgia and Turkey. The
slow growing tree is virtually free of pests
and diseases, and tolerates acidic to
alkaline soils, heat, drought, wind, urban
air pollution and soil compaction. Best fall
color is produced on specimens growing in
acidic soil in full sun.
--adapted from USDA Fact Sheet 6160 |
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