What: Trochodendron aralioides, commonly called the wheel tree, was once found only in collectors’ gardens, but it is now much more widely available. It is a lovely tree that produces a single main trunk from which are carried a whorl of horizontal branches, somewhat like the spokes of a wheel. Its evergreen leaves are long and tapered, and their bright green color contrast well with rhododendrons and the trunks of our native conifers. Planted as single specimen, it is eye-catching due to its distinctive growth habit. Wheel tree is in a genus by itself and is native to Japan and Korea.
Where: Plant wheel tree in full sun to light shade. It grows best in fertile, humus-rich, well-drained soil.
Size: This tree grows to be 25 feet tall and 15 feet wide when mature.
Care: Water it regularly for its first two seasons and during subsequent summer dry spells. Pruning is generally not required, as wheel trees have a lovely branching structure that could easily be spoiled with pruning.
— Richie Steffen, Great Plant Picks
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