Sup Bracket Buster,

All the plants I've seen have very crumby upright habits with branches crossing every which way. The color fades by early summer, perhaps quicker in KS.

I find that both my species plants have purple foliage (close to the intensity of Rotfuchs) but it does fades once it matures in late spring.

IMO, Rotfuchs is a junk cultivar. Pick a species plant that speaks to you. I have one that is a nice open vase form and another that is a somewhat upright globe.

Not sure I'd agree with above :-) Depends on the effect you are looking for. For a smallish tree with a relatively narrow habit and interesting foliar effect, not a bad choice. In my climate the deep purple-red holds well into summer and even then the foliage has a bit of a purplish cast. And very nice fall color - more varied than the straight species.

But If you are NOT on the look out for reddish foliage on a smallish, narrow little tree, then by all means go for the species - majestic trees in time with handsome, almost fool-proof foliage.

I agree with gardengal. I like mine. It fades by mid-summer but if I gave it afternoon shade I bet it wouldn't.

We have a couple Red Fox planted in the same subdivision with regular Katsuras. Red Fox leaf color does fade in summer, but remains noticeably darker (w/ "purplish cast") than the other Katsuras. As others have said, as a young tree the habit is more upright, and the ultimate size probably somewhat smaller than regular Katsura. Both Red Fox and straight Katsura are prone to marginal leaf browning during prolonged hot/dry conditions. Will perform best where they have consistent moisture.

In the years since this thread, anybody have new info or opines on this tree? Also, I'd love to see anyones pics!