A mesmerizing bunch of shoots

Despite being something of an acquired taste, toon tree leaves bring the taste of spring to the table

We have a couple of trees at the bottom of our garden that never seem to grow very tall, or broad. That's because they get a very hard trimming in spring each year when the sap finally flows and they put out tender bunches of maroon-colored shoots.

These are our precious Chinese toon trees, and our nanny watches them like a hawk every year when shoots bud along the nodes for just a few short weeks.