Hearts glow, tremble, cling --
Then, all pour down with the rain,
Tumble in the wind.*

*(According to the 5-7-5 rule, the haiku must end here, but the work does not: so I'd like to add 5 more syllables: 5 hours of raking!  And yes, despite all the raking, the katsura is still my favourite tree for autumn colour and light.)

Katsura Tree, Thanksgiving 2007

Seven reasons why the Katsura (Cercidiphyllum japonicum) is my favourite tree* in autumn:

1) Leaf colours -- Not only does the foliage change gradually from green to pale yellow to apricot throughout October but on a on mid-autumn day, a single leaf can be variegated with all these hues plus tinged with a rose-to-plum blush.

2) Sunlight filtered through translucent leaves -- Prettiest in the morning, especially after a rain shower in late September and viewed from the under-side.

3) Orange hearts fluttering against a blue sky -- Blue and orange is my favourite, complementary colour scheme. I find it both energizing and calming.

4) A golden glow -- I captured this image last year in late October on a rare, sunny day. Today, on this more typical West Coast rainy, gray fall day, I'm wondering if I can use it for phototherapy.

5) Foliage and habit -- Though they aren't just autumn features, at this time of year I especially notice the heart-shaped leaves, the gracefully arching limbs, and the elegant shape katsura maintains from youth to maturity.

As one source writes:

The leaves of katsura tree are its main delight, hanging languidly from branches and fluttering as easily as poplar leaves in the slightest breeze....
Softly arching branching creates a pyramidal habit in youth, which generally matures to a more widely spreading crown with age (Source: The Year in Trees: Superb Woody Plants for Four-Season Gardens)

6) Tradition  -- Every Thanksgiving, I photograph the tree in my Mom's yard. The photo below is from this year; the one at the beginning of this post is from 2007.

Douglas Justice's poetic description, which I found last night in a Google Search for botanical information, is as brilliant as the katsura this past Thanksgiving Sunday:

When the fates conspire and the colours emerge, katsuras are like fireballs: all saturated red, pink, orange and blackening maroon, like a simmering furnace of molten metals and slag.

7) Tend the Earth, Mend the Spirit, Stretch & Strengthen the Body -- A favourite book's title and missing Pilates classes during my vacation inspired this reason. Perhaps if I had to rake leaves from more than one medium-sized katsura I wouldn't find "tending" consistently pleasant, let alone therapeutic, but I truly enjoyed the daily leaf-raking ritual while I was visiting my mom for two weeks. It was good for my mind and spirit as I practiced being in the present moment (inhale/rake, exhale/rake, focus on the task at hand, "all will be well"). It was good for my body, as I applied (correctly, I hope) various Pilates' principles to bending, stretching and lifting.

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(* I need to qualify this as "my favourite too-big-for-the-balcony tree." My favourite balcony-suitable tree is the Japanese maple Acer palmatum 'Inaba Shidare'. This fall, though, I've spent more time with katsura -- by necessity rather than choice -- a tree that's been a joy and comfort during some difficult days.)

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Cake may not be essential to life but eaten occasionally, with some element of celebration or ceremony, it enriches, sweetens, perhaps even spices up the day. And I know it inspires good conversation.

Here's my new-favourite recipe for a warm, September Sunday when the plums are in season and you've scheduled nothing but an afternoon of sharing tea, memories and dreams with a friend or two.

Plum-Cardamom Upside-Down Cake

Plum Syrup
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
12-15 Italian prune plums, pitted and sliced 1/2 inch thick

Cake
11/2 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoons ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 ounces (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs

To make the plum syrup:
Line the bottom of a 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper.
In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.
Whisk in the brown sugar until the sugar dissolves.
Remove from the heat and whisk until smooth.
Pour the syrup into the bottom of the prepared pan.
Arrange the plum slices, slightly overlapping them, in 3 rows, completely covering the bottom of the pan.

To make the cake:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Sift together the cake flour, baking powder, and cardamom onto a piece of parchment paper or into the bowl. Add the salt and set aside.
In a small bowl or measuring cup, stir together the milk and vanilla and set aside.
Combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment and beat on medium-high speed until creamy, about 1 minute.
Reduce the speed to low and add the dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with the milk mixture in 2 additions, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, and mixing well after each addition.
Increase the speed to medium and beat until smooth, about 1 minute.
Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition, then continue to beat for 1 minutes.
Spread the batter on top of the plums.
Bake until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes.
Run a knife around the inside edge of the pan to loosen the cake, invert a platter on top of the pan, and then invert the plate and pan together. Lift off the pan and carefully remove the parchment paper.
Slice the cake and serve warm or at room temperature.

Planning Ahead
The cake is best served the day it is made. Wrap in plastic wrap and store at room temperature.

{My variation: After arranging plums in bottom of pan, sprinkle with a light dusting of cinnamon & drizzle lightly with maple syrup.} 

{Kitchen notes: In this version (trial #2) I prepared for the blog post & photographs, I used more plums than the recipe called for -- I prefer a fruity rather than cake-y dessert. This affected the cake texture but not the flavour (it was still "yum").  And the next time I make the recipe, I'm going to increase the deliciousness with a dollop of Kathryn's vanilla ricotta on top.}

Source: cake recipe adapted from Classic Stars Desserts by Emily Luchetti.