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Friends of Pier Park

Friends of Pier Park is a 501(c)(3 ) non-profit that advocates for and enhances our 75-acre North Portland park

  • Amenities
    • Disc Golf
    • Playground
    • Pool
    • Skatepark
    • Tennis
  • Forest
    • Big Leaf Maple – Acer macrophyllum
    • Dogwood Tree – Cornus kousa
    • Douglas Fir – Pseudotsuga menziesi
    • Giant Sequoia – Sequoiadendron giganteum
    • Katsura tree – Cercidiphyllum japonicum
    • Mock Orange shrub – Philadelphus lewisii
    • Pacific Madrona – Arbutus menziesii
    • Pink Dawn Viburnum x Bodnantense
    • Tulip Tree – Liriodendron tulipifera
    • Vine Maple – Acer circinatum
    • Western Red Cedar – Thuja plicata
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  • Volunteer

Katsura tree – Cercidiphyllum japonicum

Katsura-spring
katsura-fall-2

Perhaps the most graceful deciduous tree in the Park is the katsura. Native to China and Japan, the katsura is the Japanese word for “tree”. In the fall, its rounded leaves put on a show as they glow in shades of yellow or pinkish yellow. Some say that when the leaves fall, the tree produces a fragrance that some call spicy; others compare it to brown sugar.

The Katsura Tree has been around for a very long time. Fossil records date its existence to 1.8 million years. It even grew across North America and Europe until it vanished from those areas during the Pleistocene Era. Katsura was introduced in 1865 by Thomas Hogg, who sent seeds from Japan to his brother’s nursery in New York.

Katsuras can grow to a height of 60 feet. The katsuras in Pier Park can be found growing in the “valley” near disc golf hole # 4.

Katsura-leaves
katsura-fall-1

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Friends of Pier Park is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works to enhance the beauty, safety, and community enjoyment of Pier Park in North Portland.

Donations at any level are welcome.

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