Parrotia persica

( puh - ROW - tee - uh     PER - suh - kuh )

At-A-Glance Information

This species of flowering deciduous trees or shrubs is commonly called Parrotia or Persian Ironwood and needs full sun to light shade and moderate to regular water for best performance. These plants are native to the Caucasus and northern areas in Iran. They look great in all seasons, grow slowly to 15-25 feet tall and just as wide, and can be trained to have just a single trunk (although naturally it will form multiple). Fall color is golden yellow, and foliage is wavy. In winter, the main show is the bark, which is smooth and grey, chipping off to reveal white wood. In late winter to early spring, Parrotia produces tiny white flowers with red stamens, and after flowers fade the foliage takes over once more, emerging reddish-purple and maturing to dark green. Varieties include 'Pendula' (with drooping branches; reaches just 5 feet tall and 10 feet wide) and 'Vanessa' (a dense grower reaching 30 feet tall and around half as wide). Parrotia persica grows well in zones 2b-7 and 14-17. To find your zone, click here: Zone Map. 

Caring for and pruning Parrotia persica shrubs

Plant Parrotia in full sun to partial shade (the best fall color will develop in full sun exposure) in well-draining soil that is rich in organic matter. These shrubs prefer a soil pH of between 6.0 and 6.5. When these plants are getting themselves established in the garden, water so that the soil stays consistently moist. Once Parrotia is established, it is pretty drought-tolerant, though it will require some deep waterings during prolonged dry spells. In most cases, these plants don't require fertilization, but if the shrub seems to be struggling, it may be a good idea to feed with a balanced, slow-release fertilizer in early springtime. The best time to prune Parrotia shrubs is in late winter or early spring. Simply do a light pruning to control for shape and size, and remove any dead or diseased branches or foliage. Remove crossing branches.

Propagation

Parrotia persica can be propagated either by using cuttings or from seed. To ensure that your propagated plant will have the exact same qualities and characteristics as the parent plant, use the cutting method. If you would like to experiment and see what plant you can grow from seed, just keep in mind that it will not necessarily be the same as the parent plant. To propagate your shrub, follow the instructions below:

Propagating Parrotia persica by Cutting
  1. Gather your materials. You'll need a clean, sanitized, sharp pair of garden shears, rooting hormone, a pencil, and a 3-inch pot filled with well-draining compost or other organic material. If you don't have any potting medium on hand, you can make some. Just mix together equal parts (by volume) moss peat and horticultural-grade sand or grit sand.
  2. In late winter or early spring (around the time you'll be pruning), choose the plant that you'd like to propagate. Ensure that this plant has had a good watering the night before, as this will improve the chances your cutting will take root. Cut one or more 6 inch hardwood portion(s) of the end of a non-blooming branch and strip the leaves off of the lower half. Make a hole in your planting medium by pushing your pencil into the soil. Dip the end of the stem in rooting hormone, and plant it in your pot. Fill in soil around the cutting to support it, but do not pack it down too much.
  3. Moisten with water, and ensure that the pot has good drainage. Your pot should be kept in warm, sunny conditions indoors (and not in direct sunlight). Water whenever your soil is dry under the top layer. After about four to six weeks have passed, your cutting should be rooted. When you notice new growth, you'll know you have roots. 
  4. Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring, when you can transplant it to its new home. Ensure that the last frost of the year has occurred before doing this, as it can seriously damage your new shrub.

Propagating Parrotia persica by Seed
  1. Keep in mind that the plant you get from seed will not necessarily mimic all of the characteristics of the parent plant. To propagate by seed, you will need a paper bag, a pot or tray filled with well-draining compost or other organic material, a spray bottle and a fork. If you don't have any potting medium on hand, you can make some. Just mix together equal parts (by volume) moss peat and horticultural-grade sand or grit sand. You will also, after a few weeks, need individual 3-inch pots for each seedling that grows. 
  2. Harvest your seeds. The seed pods on these plants are pretty easy to spot, they're left behind after flowers have faded. Once they have dried out and begun to split open, you can harvest the seeds inside. Cut them off of the plant, placing them in a paper bag. Harvest as many as you can, and place the paper bag in a dry, cool, dark area. They will begin to split open and release the seeds contained inside. Once they have been released, take them out of the bag and put them in a container so you can work with them.
  3. These seeds have a hard coating that protects them, but this coating also makes it a little difficult to get them to germinate. We can help the process along by soaking them in lukeworm water for 24 hours. After this water bath, place the seeds in a sealable bag filled with moist peat moss and place the bag in a warm area for 180 days. Then, move the bag to the refrigerator and cold-stratify for 90 days. Once these treatments are completed, you can sow the seeds.
  4. Water your prepared seed tray or pot filled with soil, and ensure that good drainage is occurring. Place your seeds in your prepared pot or seed tray about a quarter inch to a half-inch under the soil surface. Cover them with soil and water with your spray bottle. Place your tray of seeds in a warm area that receives bright, indirect light. A greenhouse is the most ideal climate, but a planting tray inside a window will do as well. Germination can take up to 18 months from sowing, so be patient! Once you begin to see seedlings sprout and they are able to be handled, transplant them to their own individual 3-inch pots, filled with the same potting medium as described in Step 1. Loosen the seedlings from the potting medium by digging down with the tines of your fork about an inch and a half, gently working the seedling up until it is out. Then, replant the seedling in its individual pot.
  5. Keep the seedling's potting medium moist, but not wet, by spraying the soil with your spray bottle. Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring (after the danger of frost has passed), when you can transplant it to its new home.
The seed pods on Parrotia persica shrubs are contained inside seed pods left behind when flowers fade.
Parrotia persica seeds.

Problems and Pests

Although these shrubs are generally pest and disease free, they can have issues with the following common garden pests:
  • Aphids
  • Scale Insects
  • Leaf Spot Diseases
For more information on these issues, including how to eradicate them, see the following links:

Gallery

These shrubs or small trees have beautiful fall color, especially when planted in full sun.
These trees are wonderful in mixed beds, where they can be left as shrubs or trained into single or multi-trunked small trees.
Parrotia persica are great shrubs for woodland-style gardens.

Videos

All about Persian ironwood.
How to do a rejuvenation/renovation pruning on these trees and shrubs.

Resources

Wikipedia: Parrotia persica
The New Sunset Western Garden Book: The Ultimate Gardening Guide (2012) - Page 475, Parrotia persica (Persian Parrotia)
If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or photos you’d like to add to the gallery, please let me know by sending me a message using the button below!
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