Plant: Chinese Parasol Tree

Plant description

A small to medium fast growing deciduous tree, 30 to 45 feet tall and 20 to 30 feet wide, with a dense rounded canopy, bold palmately lobed leaves 8 to 12 inches across and smooth green bark striped with pale greenish white. Small star shaped white to yellow green fragrant flowers open in terminal panicles up to a foot long from late spring into summer, followed by unusual leathery pods that split into four petal like sections holding pea like seeds. Foliage turns gold in fall. It takes full sun to partial shade on well drained loam or sand across a wide pH range and tolerates deer and drought.

Flowers

Small star shaped white to creamy or yellow green sepals without petals are carried in terminal panicles up to 12 inches long in late spring and early summer and are mildly fragrant.

Foliage

Large bold simple alternate leaves are palmately lobed with three to five lobes, 8 to 12 inches wide, with a cordate base and pubescent undersides.

Fruit

Large pod like leathery dry capsules split into four petal like sections that reveal pea like reddish brown seeds about a quarter inch across.

Bark & stems

Bark is thin and green with pale greenish white stripes, becoming dark gray, light gray or chalky white with age; stems are stout and green with circular leaf scars.

Native range

Eastern China, Japan, Taiwan, Vietnam

Plant details