Persian parrotia

* Common name: Persian parrotia

* Botanical name: Parrotia persica

* What it is: A small tree or large, multi-stemmed shrub that gets spectacular golden foliage in late fall. Bark also peels to give a Dalmation-like appearance as the tree ages. Barely noticeable early-spring flowers.

* Size: Without pruning, can ultimately grow 30 feet tall and 20 feet wide.

* Where to use: Pruned to a single-stem tree, it makes a beautiful and trouble-free specimen for any small to mid-sized yard. It’s also not a messy tree and not a rampant rooter, so it’s a good choice for a little shade near a deck, patio or water garden. As a multi-stem tall shrub, parrotia is good for borders and for spotting on banks. Full sun.

* Care: Just keep soil consistently damp in first few years until the roots are established. Then this is a very low-maintenance plant. The main job is a late-winter pruning (if any) to shape the plant the way you want it.

* Great partner: Dwarf sweetspire ‘Little Henry’ makes a nice underplanting under a limbed-up parrotia canopy… its leaves turn glossy red as parrotia leaves turn gold. Also nice underneath: deutzia ‘Nikko,’ a low, white-bloomer in spring.