I actually find the fragrance of Katsura trees obnoxious. It could be just me... I think it is overwhelming and utterly unpleasant. Sorry.
The 2014 edition of The Hillier Manual of Trees & Shrubs (Royal Horticultural Society, London) does describe it as "sweetly pungent".
Actually the fragrance is more like a trigger than a 'like', sort of transports me back to the atmosphere of a tropical island where I spent 35 years living on the edge of a rainforest. The air seems thick as I pass beneath that tree but lasts only for a few seconds but stirs up a whirlwind of memories unrelated to the tree itself.
Yup, just you. :) I get so excited that i can recognize it now by the smell, which hadn't been the case until I was told about it on a tree walk (led by Douglas Justice, of UBCBG), and now know to look around for the tree if I don't see it. It's always nearby, so reassuring.
Good morning N, its so funny to hear your thoughts on the scent of the Katsura tree. The caramel or toffee apple smell is usually liked by many. I look forward to the Autumn and brushing against the leaves of mine just to get more, plus the memories of childhood that it brings. But the world would be dull place if we were all the same. Photo of one of the leaves from one of my Katsura trees attached.
