'Cercidiphyllum' Hanna's Heart® Katsura Tree

ℹ Its likely you've never heard of Hanna’s Heart, Katsura, Cercidiphyllum japonicum “Hanna’s Heart’. Luckily for all of us, Hanna’s Heart is finally available to the public!  Biringer Nursery, a wholesale grower located near the Skagit Valley of Washington State, discovered this tree. Why is this tree so special?  It appears to be a more compact ultimate form than the species, and is great for smaller spaces. Hanna’s Heart Katsura is also slower growing; an attribute we surprisingly appreciate in some species to avoid growing leggy and more susceptible to limb breakage.The summer leaf color appears to be darker, and when contrasted against other nursery greens, it has a bluish-green hue to it. Hanna’s Heart appears to hold excellent winter hardiness, showing less twig dieback than the species, and keeps its leaves just a bit longer in the fall before turning a gorgeous bright yellow. The trees leaves are also more heart shaped than the species. Around the time that this tree was first discovered, the Biringer family had a little girl, Hanna.  She was born with a heart defect, which obviously was very traumatic for the family.  Following some very long and difficult treatments at Children’s Hospital, Hanna pulled through, and this tree was named in her honor.  In fact, the Biringer family has pledged 50 cents to Children’s Hospital for every Hanna’s Heart Katsura they sell.  So this is a very special tree!