To the Chinese, the parasol tree is the most “spirited” of all trees: legend says the phoenix will perch only on parasol wood, and the ancients used “one leaf falls from the parasol, and the whole world knows autumn” as their clock for the season. A single tree that shouldered both the mission of auspicious omen and of calendar.

The Gentleman Among Trees

The Chinese parasol tree stands straight and true, with bark as green as jade and broad, generous leaves that spread like a canopy. It is neither as soft and charming as the willow nor as solemn as the pine; it carries its own clear and upright bearing, which is why the ancients called it the “green parasol” and planted it before courtyards and studies. In the Book of Songs (Great Odes of Danya), we already read: “The phoenix cries upon the high ridge; the parasol grows toward the morning sun.” From then on, the parasol was linked to the phoenix, becoming a symbol of noble character and times of peace.

— Bai Juyi, Tang Dynasty, “The Lone Parasol at Yunjusi” —

A single trunk of green jade stands,

A thousand leaves fall like a cloud of green.

Tall and graceful, five zhang and more,

Its lofty spirit knows no end.

The Messenger of the Start of Autumn

The parasol tree is among the first of the deciduous trees to feel autumn. Around the Start of Autumn, when other trees still hang heavy with green, the parasol already turns yellow and lets its leaves drift down. From this the ancients set their phenological sign: the parasol announces autumn. According to the Hua Jing (Flower Mirror), parasol trees were planted in the old palace; on the day of the Start of Autumn, the court astronomer would wait at the foot of the steps, and upon seeing a single leaf touch the ground, would cry out “Autumn has come!”—the assembled ministers echoing the call. One falling leaf announced the turning of a season.

• How to know it: The parasol (green parasol) has palmately lobed leaves divided into three to five segments and smooth greenish bark; the paulownia and the London plane resemble it but are truly different—do not confuse them.
• When to enjoy: In spring watch the new leaves like open palms, in summer rest in the dense shade, in autumn see the yellow leaves leave the branch, in winter admire the spare clarity of the boughs.
• What it means: “Plant a parasol to attract the phoenix” was an old custom for auspicious homes; “the parasol and the wutong growing old together” was the ancients’ metaphor for faithful love.

Lute Wood and Heartwood

Parasol wood is light yet tough, with a fine, dense grain—excellent material for making zithers. The ancients prized parasol wood above all for carving lutes. In the legend of the Scorched-Tail Zither, Cai Yong heard a parasol log crackling in the kitchen fire, knew it was fine wood, rescued it, and carved it into a zither whose tail still bore the scorch marks—with a tone beyond compare. From “the phoenix will not alight elsewhere” to “carved into the Scorched-Tail Zither,” the parasol tree has always kept company with pure sound and lofty grace. One might call it the recluse-scholar among trees.

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Keywords: parasol tree · one leaf knows autumn · Start of Autumn · phoenix · Scorched-Tail Zither