PlantFiles: Persian Ironwood, Persian Parrotia
Parrotia persica

I have observed the plant for about 10 years growing in irrigated display beds in Central IL. It almost never goes dormant quickly enough and freezes back about half of what it grew the year before. Yesterday I ran into a plant that was hidden "out back" and receiving no irrigation. It looks much better, no sign of dieback. If you weather can change dramatically in the fall, keep an eye on the watering and late season new growth. Have not observed much in the way of fall color here although in other parts of the midwest I have seen nice color.

I have had no problems with this tree at all. I have acid clay soil which I amended with planting mix in 3' deep by 4.5' wide planting holes. I rarely watered after the first year and use a root irrigator only occasionally in very hot weather when the leaves on the branch tips look like they're suffering. This is a desert tree from Iran, after all. It takes well to poor soil and roots moderately deeply so it's a great tree for parking strips (where I planted mine) and doesn't grow into power lines if you thin the middle branches and allow it to arc naturally outward instead of topping it. No diseases or pests apart from minor leaf holing by insects. Lots of pruning is necessary since it has a very dense habit but it recovers beautifully and branches widely into a candleabra or multitrunked shape. Great leaves and bark, which fractures and flakes with age but this is not a sign of disease, only character. The leaves are vulnerable to wind when they change in winter--if you can shelter it you'll have a more impressive display of color through all the changes. Otherwise, yellow changes to orange just before half the leaves are gone, and then you have a few scarlet leaves left over before final drop. Highly recommended and foolproof. Just prune it early and often.

My midwest experience with P. persica is that it is incredibly slow growing, the habit is low branching, bushy, almost shrub-like, it holds it's leaves long into the winter/early spring, and the fall color has been fair at best.

I live in USDA Zone 8a and would love to have this small tree. The following notes are from the New Illustrated Encyclopedia of Gardening, Volume 8

Parrotia persica is found wild in northern Iran. It belongs to the Witch Hazel family, Hamamelidaceae and the name commemorates German naturalist F. W. Parrot.

Leaves are approximately 5" long by 3" wide. Individual flowers are small but conspicuous by reason of their many red stamens and are borne in dense clusters in late winter or spring. Parrotia persica is increased by seeds sown in sandy soil in a frame as soon as they are ripe, and by layers pegged into sandy soil in spring. It requires a sunny position in well-drained, loamy soil. Pruning should be given special attention when the tree is young; it is done in summer and should take the form of shortening the side branches in order to direct additional food material to the leading shoot.

I needed a tree for my narrow (15 ft.) side yard. My city (Olympia, Washington) has a free tree program for landscaping the "streetscape" of owners' property (program decimated by budget cuts, but may return). Parrotia is on their recommended list due to its disease-resistance, non-invasive root system, and height (under 25 ft.)

I found an upright form of Parrotia 'Vanessa' from ForestFarm that is doing beautifully. It's the typical multi-trunk form, and is a very strong grower. The mostly dark red fall color is very long in developing and remains for many weeks.

Olympia is Zone 8, with 52 inches of rain annually (typically almost none in the summer), and very acidic soil. However, I understand Parrotia grows in a variety of soil types and climates.

I HIGHLY recommend it.

This is a magnificent tree for fall color going from golden yellow to orange or rosy pink and finally to scarlet - wow!. It is slow growing to 30' or more, but is more commonly seen as a shrub or multitrunked tree.

There are a number of things to like about this tree in addition to fall color. The bark is grey, smooth and, in older trees, flakes off to show white, tan, and green patches. It blooms in late winter/early spring before leafing out and looks like a reddish haze when in full bloom. When foliage first appears, it is reddish purple and matures into a lustrous dark green. Tolerates alkaline soils, but prefers slightly acidic ones and has few pests. This one should be used more in southern landscaping.