Habitat

• native to northern China and Korea
• hardy to zone 4

Habit and Form

• a small to medium sized deciduous tree
• typical landscape size is 25' to 30'; but it can get larger
• generally as wide as tall
• most often found with a short main trunk that divides into several main branches
• overall plant shape is somewhat vase-shaped

Summer Foliage

• opposite, pinnately compound leaves
• 9" to 15" long leaves
• generally 7 to 11 leaflets
• leaflets are ovate and rounded at the base
• leaf color is a dark , lustrous green
• good quality summer foliage

Autumn Foliage

• no fall color
• greenish-yellow

Flowers

• numerous small white flowers borne in flat clusters
• flower clusters are 4" to 6" across
• bloom time is July and August
• bloom is generally heavy and showy, especially for summertime

Fruit

• small capsules
• change from red to black in late August through November
• ornamental show from the fruit can be quite nice

Bark

• smooth gray bark
• possesses noticeable raised lenticels
• fairly ornamental

Culture

• prefers moist, fertile, well-drained soil
• pH of soil not critical
• full sun
• young trees are less cold hardy tan mature specimens; plant as large a specimen as possible

Landscape Use

• specimen
• delightful in small groves or groupings
• useful for summer bloom effect
• useful for high quality summer foliage
• good for small residences
• possibly useful in urban situations

Liabilities

• relatively peat free
• may be weak wooded
• some believe it to be short-lived
• lack of full cold-hardiness in young trees
• hard to locate to purchase

ID Features

• opposite, pinnately compound leaves with dark green color
• smooth gray bark with raised lenticels
• summer bloom of flat clusters of white flowers
• vase-shaped, upright habit
• naked terminal buds

Propagation

• by seed

Cultivars/Varieties

• none