Amur Cork Tree

Arbor Walk #101, Treekeeper ID #1905

The Amur Cork Tree ‘His Majesty’ is an adaptive cultivar to the Missouri area. The Amur Cork Tree is native to China and Japan. The species is able to tolerate some drought conditions and urban pollutants. They are known for attractive, furrowed bark that resembles cork, as is apparent within its name.

Amur Cork Trees are very aggressive and can easily become invasive. Due to this, it is only recommended to plant male cultivars that will not produce fruit, which means it will not spread. Arbor Walk #101 is a male cultivar.

Common NameAmur Cork Tree
Latin NamePhellodendron amurense
Indigenous Name(s)
Cultivar/Variety ‘His Majesty’
Commercial Name
Global Distribution
Where to find Arbor Walk #101 on WashU campus
Our Amur Cork Tree in space
GPS Coordinates

N/A

Percent Concrete

N/A

Distance to Buildings
YearClose Building #1Close Building #2Close Building #3
Distance to Other Species
YearClose Species #1Close Species # 2Close Species # 3
Our Amur Cork Tree through time
Standard Measurements
YearHeight (m)DBH (cm)Crown Diameter N-S (m)Crown Diameter E-W (m)Average Crown Diameter (m)
20235.80.12/0.191.811.4
Nests and Pests
YearDescription
2023N/A
How to identify an Amur Cork Tree
Leaf Identification

The leaves of the Amur Cork Tree are about 11″ to 14″ long and are odd-pinnately compound with 5-11 ovate leaflets. It typically has pinnate and reticulate veins with entire margins. They are a dark green in the summer and yellow in the fall. .

Twig and Bud Identification

The twigs of the Amur Cork Tree are a beautiful, lustrous brown with lenticels (visible pores). The inner bark of twigs are bright yellow, and have raised U-shaped leaf scars. The buds are fuzzy and conical.

Bark Identification

The Amur Cork Tree has grayish-brown bark with ridged and almost “corky” projections.

Fruit Identification

Our campus only has one Amur Cork Tree, and it is male. This means it does not produce fruit. If it did fruit, the result would be fleshy, black drupes in big clusters.

Flower Identification

The flowers of the Amur Cork Tree are yellowish-green. They are non-showy panicles.

‘His Majesty’ Identification

This is a fruitless cultivar that forms a more vase-shaped habit. It is thought to be a hybrid of P. amurense and P. sachalinense.

Relationship of Phellodendron amurense to other species in the arboretum
Additional resources on the Amur Cork Tree

Take a look around Arbor Walk Tree #101