Largely unknown in Minnesota, Persian ironwood is widely used in zone 5 and above as a boulevard tree because of its handsome habit, durability in wind and snow, longevity, and tolerance of salt and pollution. However, there are a number of old specimens dotting the Longfellow neighborhood of Minneapolis that show no evidence of winter damage and I have started noticing specimens in some inner ring suburbs as well. They are easy to distinguish this time of year because their leaves are just starting to turn. Recently a columnar cultivar hit the market called JL Spire and its merits make it tempting to introduce into the Minnesotan landscape.