Its actually a fairly easy to grow tree around here. It just needs good moisture during the first few years then has decent drought tolerance.

Here is a monster specimen growing at Milwaukee Botanical Gardens. Then a smaller one.

Female plants tend to have a more spreading habit while the male plants have a more slender upright habit.

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Nice trees. Usually color rather early and decently well here in fall from what I see - a few in my neighborhood showing some color now.

They sometimes turn a straight yellow, other times a mix, but even the yellow is a pretty nice yellow.

"Female plants tend to have a more spreading habit while the male plants have a more slender upright habit."

Isn't sexuality amazing?

Actually, I did not know that about this tree and find it very interesting. I tend to prefer wider spreading trees or vase shaped trees, but for this site, a vigorous upright male might do the trick. ;)

Its quite brisk out there so I just snapped one from inside.

They do color up with the sugar maples and typically have a golden yellow with apricot undertones. This one won't like get too much apricot with a freeze coming tonight.

One of my favorite trees. There are many planted around here, often as street trees, and the fall coloring is a treat!

Will get to be a pretty big tree........do you have sufficient room where the crab was? The one adjacent to the nursery parking lot is easily 40' with about an equal spread.

The largest spread of a champion tree in WI is 50' and its in the most southern part of the state near Lake Geneva.

The one above is about 40' wide and was planted in the 60s from what I remember.

If it developes a 50' spread, I might be in trouble. It will be in an open setting with roughly 20'-25 clearance to other trees. They're marginally hardy this far north, so I'm going to assume it will stay a bit more compact. I wouldn't mind dealing with a vigorous Katsura that threatens its neighbors. :)

Whaas, how have the Katsuras in your area handled drought? I've always thought they were very vulnerable to extended dry periods, but maybe that's only when they're young. I've got sandy soil, but this site is well watered.

If you get a more upright form it will be decades before it hits 25' wide. They aren't the fasted growing trees around here as you eluded to.

For the upper Midwest I'd say they are moderately drought tolerant once established. Certainly not as sensitive as some sites point out.

My two plants didn't have any tip die back. 40+ below zero days and several days between -15 and -20. Per the zone classification I still had a zone 5a winter.

Thanks! I may get a Katsura in the ground yet this fall. :)

About ten years ago, while on a garden tour, I was very surprised to come across a large thriving katsura in the nearby city of Edmonton, Alberta, where minimum winter temps can occasionally approach -40 F. Since then, I've always wanted to grow it for myself, but if I could only track one down!