Parrotia persica, Persian parrotia
July 2009
The combination of early spring color, mottled bark and richly-colored fall foliage makes Parrotia persica, the Persian parrotia, a handsome addition to a small landscape.
Parrotia persica can be single-stemmed or multi-stemmed, and reaches 20 to 40 feet tall and 15 to 30 feet wide. It’s in the same family as witchhazels, Hamamelidaceae, and shares a similarly-shaped, toothed leaf that emerges in a purplish color, turns dark green in the summer and then bright yellow to orange in the fall. As the tree matures, the bark exfoliates to gray, brown and white patches, adding interest in the winter landscape.
This is an easy and pest-free tree to maintain as long as you give it a sunny location with well-drained soil. It will tolerate light shade but doesn’t like wet feet. Pruning is rarely necessary.
Parrotia persica is native to Iran (formerly known as Persia); the tree’s genus name was chosen in honor of German naturalist and traveler F. W. Parrot (1792-1841).