Sweetheart tree is a deciduous, upright-growing, small tree native to eastern Asia, typically reaching 15-25' tall with a compact, vase-shaped crown. It is hardy in USDA Hardiness Zones 6 through 8 and is adapted well to the hot, humid summers of the eastern and southeastern United State. It is tolerant of a variety of conditions from half-shade to full sun, and dry to moist soils. It has large panicles (four to nine inches) of small, yellowish-white flowers in May to June. These form showy rose to ruby-red fruits that persist until the early fall, when they open into shapes vaguely resembling a heart, which give rise to the name “sweetheart” tree. The compound leaves are a dark, glossy green and turn yellow to mahogany-purple tones in autumn, depending on the tree’s location. Bark on one-year-old wood is an attractive deep reddish-purple, turning brownish-gray and developing striations when mature. You can see sweetheart tree on the roadside above the Garden Clubs of America Circle in the Asian Collections.