What is the Persian Ironwood?
Persian Ironwood, or Parrotia Persica , is a deciduous tree that grows 15 to 30 feet (4.5 to 9.1 m) high and up to 40 feet (12.2 m) wide, known for its autumn leaves and winter flowers. It is the only species in the family parrotia belonging to the family Hamamelidaceae or witches. Also known as Persian parroty and Persian parrot, it is endemic on the northern face of the Alborz Mountains in Northern Iran. The tree was named Karel Meyer, director of the Botanical Garden in St. Petersburg in the 19th century, in honor of the Friedrich parrot. They follow an alternative arrangement of the leaves and have a live color throughout the year. The new leaf growth is reddish in spring, dark green in summer and in the autumn they will eventually become dark orange, yellow or red. This tree is also characterized by a short trunk that the fork near the ground. As it matures, the smooth pink brown bark peeling to reveal a gray, green and brown spot.
Small dark red flowers bloom from January to March on bare stems in front of growing new leaves. Persian iron flowers do not have petals, only prominent sticks that create an effect similar to tassels. This tree also carries fruit that looks like a dry woody brown capsule that splits when it matures to uncover two shiny seeds. Promotion is through seeds and cuttings, but germination may take more than a year.
Persian iron is generally grown for its autumn leaf, red winter fruit and attractive patterned bark. Several cultivars are available, such as p. Persica horizontalis , p. Persica pendula and p persica vanessa varieties. Popular as ornamental and garden trees these varieties are often used as shadow and borders for wide spaces such as parking.
, often considered easy maintenance and transplantation, Persian iron wood usually grows well in a cold climate, will last cold on-10 ° F (-23.3 ° C) and is tolerant of a polluted urban environment. It prefers to be planted in a damp, well -drained and slightly acidic soil and placed where the solar exposure is full. During the first season of growth, regular irrigation is recommended so that its root system can be deep and large. Once it is determined, its water requirements are reduced. The needs of pruning this tree include the removal of cross branches or those that grow in undesirable directions.