Persian Ironwood Tree | Parrotia persica 'Vanessa'With its late winter flowers, flaky patchwork bark and stunning autumn foliage colour, 'Vanessa' delivers incredible visual interest the whole year round. The dainty red blooms are borne on bare branches from the end of winter into early spring, providing a much needed injection of colour in an otherwise bleak period in the garden calendar. A mottled, jigsaw like appearance to the tree's skin is redolent of camouflage, or perhaps a snake's skin.