Parrotia persica

Common name: Persian Ironwood

Description: Parrotia persica, the Persian Ironwood, is widely regarded by plantspeople and garden designers as one of the finest all-round ornamental trees available for the British garden, delivering an exceptional and largely unrivalled succession of interest across every season of the year. In late winter and early spring, before the leaves emerge, the bare branches are decorated with clusters of small but striking crimson-red flowers — lacking petals but possessed of showy red stamens — that provide a subtle yet rewarding display and an early nectar source at a time when little else is in flower. As spring advances, the emerging foliage unfurls in attractive bronze-purple tints before maturing to a lustrous, wavy-edged, mid to dark green through the summer months. It is in autumn, however, that Parrotia persica truly announces itself, producing what many consider to be the most spectacular autumn foliage display of any hardy tree, with leaves transitioning through a breathtaking and prolonged succession of yellow, gold, orange, scarlet, crimson, and deep burgundy — often with several colours present simultaneously on a single tree. The attractive, flaking bark, which develops a handsome mosaic of grey, green, and cream on older specimens, provides quiet but genuine interest through the winter months, ensuring this outstanding tree never entirely disappears from the garden's consciousness. Persian Ironwood is also notably pest and disease resistant, long-lived, and remarkably tolerant of a wide range of soil conditions, making it as practical as it is beautiful.

Other benefits: arguably the finest autumn foliage colour of any hardy tree; attractive late winter flowers; ornamental flaking bark for winter interest; exceptional pest and disease resistance; tolerant of a wide range of soils; long-lived and low maintenance

Wildlife attraction: bees and early-season pollinators when in late winter flower; caterpillars and associated insectivorous birds

Height & spread (approx.) at 10 years: 4m x 4m; ultimately broader than tall with age

Position: full sun to partial shade; autumn colour is most vivid and prolonged in a sunny, open position; tolerates light shade but may produce less intense autumn tints

Soil pH: highly adaptable; performs well in neutral to slightly acid soils; pH 5.5–7.0; autumn colour tends to be most intense on neutral to acid soils; tolerates mildly alkaline conditions

Moisture: moderate watering when establishing; tolerates periods of drought once established; prefers moisture-retentive but well-drained soil; tolerates clay soils provided drainage is reasonable

Winter hardiness: fully hardy to approximately -20°C; no winter protection required anywhere in the UK