March 2025
You may recognize this month’s choice as a previous Plant Pick from the Fall due to its stunning fall color. We couldn’t resist choosing it again, this time because of its apetalous flowers that show off this time of year! Be sure to stop and look closely at the swollen flower buds that are beginning to open, revealing red clusters of stamens within brownish bracts.
LATIN NAME: Parrotia persica
COMMON NAME: Persian Ironwood
FAMILY: Hamamelidaceae
TYPE: Deciduous tree
ORIGIN: Northern Iran, Caucacus
LOCATION AT BLOEDEL RESERVE: Birch Trail and Mid Pond
GARDEN USES: Fall Color, Foundation Planting
FUN FACT: The genus name, Parrotia persica, honors F.W. Parrot, who was a German naturalist and traveler who climbed Mount Ararat in 1834.
Persian Ironwood on the bank of Mid Pond
Photo credit: Sean Peterson
