katsura tree

1 9.4

A tree from Japan and China with sweet smelling leaves that turn yellow to red in autumn

noun

: árbol katsura

Gardeners often choose the katsura tree for its ornamental value and vibrant autumn foliage.

Examples

The air was filled with a cotton candy scent as the katsura tree's leaves began to change color.
A beautiful katsura tree stands at the center of their Japanese garden, its leaves glowing golden in the fall.
The katsura tree has beautiful leaves.
I planted a katsura tree in my garden.
A beautiful katsura tree stands at the center of their Japanese garden, its leaves glowing golden in the fall.
Gardeners often choose the katsura tree for its ornamental value and vibrant autumn foliage.
The air was filled with a cotton candy scent as the katsura tree's leaves began to change color.

Synonyms

Cercidiphyllum japonicum

vskatsura tree

Specialized

9.9

Fast-growing tree from China and Japan with heart-shaped, sweet-smelling leaves that turn yellow to red in autumn

is cultivated mainly for ornamental value rather than fast growth

Surface Forms

katsura tree singular

katsura trees plural

Morphology

katsura + tree

This is a straightforward noun compound: 'katsura' specifies the type and 'tree' names the category, so a learner who knows both constituents would infer it denotes a kind of tree. The 'X tree' construction is compositional and cross-linguistically common, making the overall meaning transparent even if 'katsura' itself is a proper name for the species.

Etymology

Katsura tree gets its name from the Japanese word katsura, which people used for the tree whose fallen leaves smell very sweet, like 'cotton candy'. So the name brings to mind the sweet-smelling leaves and the tree's bright autumn colour.