Parrotia persica

Common name: Parrotia
Plant type: Small deciduous tree
Flower color: Red
Bloom period: January-March
Fragrance: None
Height: 15-25 feet
Hardiness: Zones 5b-9a
Light needs: Part to full sun
Moisture needs: Average
Seasonal character: Beautiful structure and bark give four-season interest; flaming fall color.

Parrotia is a tree so offbeat it doesn't even have a common name. I don't know the reason for the Latin name, but I like to think it's because this tree is as colorful as a parrot in autumn, when its handsome scalloped leaves ignite into brilliant yellow, orange, and red, all on the same tree.

But right now, this tree is exhibiting a much more discreet show: its small ruby red flowers, which, from a distance of 20 feet or so, make the tree appear to be spouting drops of blood all over its branches. Parrotia's flowers belie its membership in the witchhazel family, both with their structure and their time of bloom, and are very similar to those of the even lesser known Disanthus cercifolius, another shrub in the witchhazel tribe with very early ruby-red blossoms.

Parrotia's other great asset is that as the tree matures, the bark on the trunk and eventually on the main branches starts flaking off in plates to make a handsome mosaic of gray and white. In parts of the country where winter is a reality, handsome bark counts for a lot at that colorless time of year.

This is a tree with no disease or insect problems, and essentially no pruning needed, except for the facultative instance mentioned below.

Not a tree for the impatient, parrotia is notoriously slow to establish and slow-growing as well. It prefers an acid soil and good drainage, with adequate moisture. Naturally a rather narrow tree with ascending branches, it grows at least twice as tall as wide. Its naturally small size makes parrotia a perfect tree for a patio or other confined space. As your specimen matures, you may want to remove a few of the lowest branches to better reveal the beauty of the bark. But I prefer to see parrotia left untouched, to mature into the highly individual character that is the reason for growing this beautiful tree.

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