Beautiful cultivar with a regular, pyramidal growth pattern, up to about 20 m. The young leaf has a slightly purple hue and has reddish leaf stems. The leaves are somewhat smaller than typical of the species. In summer the foliage is bright green, turning orange-red to deep purple in autumn. The branches and trunk are conspicuously thickly covered with corky fissures. This makes for an attractive appearance, especially in winter. The flowers are inconspicuous and are followed by round, spiky capsules that persist in the winter. ‘Palo Alto’ was selected for its regular growth, beautiful autumn colours and conspicuous corky fissures. Prefers fertile, moist soil: cannot tolerate persisting drought.