The "Other" Ironwood

For most of recent history The Persian Ironwood was thought to be a Monotypic plant, alone in it's Genus Parrotia. In 1992 though a curious plant previously classified as a Hamamelis was found to also be a Parrotia, the Chinese Iron Wood, Parrotia subaequalis. 3500 miles away from it's only relative another Iron Wood lived!

Over the past 10 years or so the plant has slowly made it's way into collections and nurseries that grow the weird and the wonderful. We hope to have our first crop of these plants available for sale in 2016.

It's a smaller less vigorous plant than it's Persian cousin but in my opinion it has far superior & reliably red to red crimson fall color. Here is a link to an Arnoldia article that will tell you everything you need to know about the plant and it's interesting history.

Parrotia subaequalis