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An unexpected benefit of frost damage

micearguersmicearguers Posts: 646
in Plants
There is a strong sweet scent in my garden, somewhat like caramelised sugar. It comes from the frost-damaged young foliage of my katsura tree, Cercidiphyllum japonicum. It's a small new tree; its foliage is supposed to smell of cinnamon or burnt sugar in autumn. I've never experienced that in its two-year presence in my garden, and wondered if it was related to my soil (limey) or its age (young). The scent is quite incredible, strongly present even at a distance of 15 meters. Hopefully the tree has not suffered too much, and I'm curious if this autumn the scent will return.

Posts

  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    Friends of mine thi sgrow this on acid soil and it does smell wonderful in autumn.  This plant does prefer neutral to acid soil so you might want to think about giving it a regular drink of liquid sequestered iron and occasionally some Epsom salts dissolved in water - 15ml to 5litres.  These will help it take up iron and magnesium and keep its foliage healthy.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • micearguersmicearguers Posts: 646
    Thanks @Obelixx that is useful to know. My soil is not excessively limey, I need to be more precise about it; it seems a weird mixture of clay + chalk + flint. Still, it is definitely on the alkaline half of the scale. I mulch a lot, and so far the foliage is healthy. Still, very useful advice and I will keep an eye on it. It is a curious thing, this scent in spring!
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    In normal circumstances the perfume is released as the leaves change colour during the autumn shutdown.  I would assume that frost damage has given the same signals.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
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