diff --git a/flax/experimental/nnx/nnx/graph_utils.py b/flax/experimental/nnx/nnx/graph_utils.py
index 974dcf7c63..d9ebb9942b 100644
--- a/flax/experimental/nnx/nnx/graph_utils.py
+++ b/flax/experimental/nnx/nnx/graph_utils.py
@@ -105,28 +105,33 @@ def register_node_type(
 
 
 def is_node(x: tp.Any) -> bool:
-  return type(x) in NODE_TYPES
+  if isinstance(x, Variable):
+    return False
+  elif type(x) in NODE_TYPES:
+    return True
+  return is_pytree_node(x)
 
 
 def is_node_type(x: type[tp.Any]) -> bool:
   return x in NODE_TYPES
 
 
-@tp.overload
-def get_node_impl(x: type[Node]) -> NodeImpl[Node, tp.Any, tp.Any]:
-  ...
+def get_node_impl(x: Node) -> NodeImpl[Node, tp.Any, tp.Any]:
+  if isinstance(x, Variable):
+    raise ValueError(f'Variable is not a node: {x}')
 
+  node_type = type(x)
 
-@tp.overload
-def get_node_impl(x: Node) -> NodeImpl[Node, tp.Any, tp.Any]:
-  ...
+  if node_type not in NODE_TYPES:
+    if is_pytree_node(x):
+      node_type = PytreeType
+    else:
+      raise ValueError(f'Unknown node type: {x}')
+
+  return NODE_TYPES[node_type]
 
 
-def get_node_impl(x: type[Node] | Node) -> NodeImpl[Node, tp.Any, tp.Any]:
-  if not isinstance(x, type):
-    x = type(x)
-  if not is_node_type(x):
-    raise ValueError(f'Unknown node type: {x}')
+def get_node_impl_for_type(x: type[Node]) -> NodeImpl[Node, tp.Any, tp.Any]:
   return NODE_TYPES[x]
 
 
@@ -147,12 +152,12 @@ def __len__(self) -> int:
     return len(self._mapping)
 
   def __hash__(self) -> int:
-    return hash(tuple(self._mapping.items()))
+    return hash(tuple(sorted(self._mapping.items())))
 
   def __eq__(self, other: tp.Any) -> bool:
-    if not isinstance(other, tp.Mapping):
-      return False
-    return self._mapping == other
+    return (
+      isinstance(other, _HashableMapping) and self._mapping == other._mapping
+    )
 
   def __repr__(self) -> str:
     return repr(self._mapping)
@@ -253,7 +258,7 @@ def __init__(
     variables: tp.Iterable[tuple[str, VariableDef | int]],
     metadata: tp.Any,
   ):
-    self._type = type
+    self._type: type[Node] = type
     self._index = index
     self._attributes = attributes
     self._subgraphs = _HashableMapping(subgraphs)
@@ -417,7 +422,7 @@ def _graph_flatten(
       static_fields.append((key, value))
 
   graphdef = GraphDef(
-    type=type(node),
+    type=node_impl.type,
     index=index,
     attributes=tuple(key for key, _ in values),
     subgraphs=subgraphs,
@@ -449,7 +454,7 @@ def _graph_unflatten(
 
   # TODO(cgarciae): why copy here?
   state = state.copy()
-  node_impl = get_node_impl(graphdef.type)
+  node_impl = get_node_impl_for_type(graphdef.type)
 
   def _get_children():
     new_state: dict[str, tp.Any] = {}
@@ -874,3 +879,46 @@ def _unflatten_tuple(
   flatten=_flatten_tuple,
   unflatten=_unflatten_tuple,
 )
+
+
+# Pytree
+class PytreeType:
+  pass
+
+
+def is_pytree_node(x: tp.Any) -> bool:
+  return not jax.tree_util.all_leaves([x])
+
+
+def _key_path_to_str(key: tp.Any) -> str:
+  if isinstance(key, jax.tree_util.SequenceKey):
+    return str(key.idx)
+  elif isinstance(
+    key, (jax.tree_util.DictKey, jax.tree_util.FlattenedIndexKey)
+  ):
+    return str(key.key)
+  elif isinstance(key, jax.tree_util.GetAttrKey):
+    return key.name
+  else:
+    return str(key)
+
+
+def _flatten_pytree(pytree: tp.Any):
+  leaves, treedef = jax.tree_util.tree_flatten_with_path(
+    pytree, is_leaf=lambda x: x is not pytree
+  )
+  nodes = tuple((_key_path_to_str(path[0]), value) for path, value in leaves)
+
+  return nodes, treedef
+
+
+def _unflatten_pytree(
+  nodes: tuple[tuple[str, tp.Any], ...], treedef: jax.tree_util.PyTreeDef
+):
+  pytree = treedef.unflatten(value for _, value in nodes)
+  return pytree
+
+
+register_node_type(
+  PytreeType, flatten=_flatten_pytree, unflatten=_unflatten_pytree
+)
diff --git a/flax/experimental/nnx/tests/test_graph_utils.py b/flax/experimental/nnx/tests/test_graph_utils.py
index 8ee03eb0ca..826763d3e6 100644
--- a/flax/experimental/nnx/tests/test_graph_utils.py
+++ b/flax/experimental/nnx/tests/test_graph_utils.py
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 import pytest
 
 from flax.experimental import nnx
+from flax import struct
 
 
 class TestGraphUtils:
@@ -230,3 +231,49 @@ def __init__(self):
     assert m2.a.value == state.a.raw_value
     assert m2.b.value == state.a.raw_value
     assert m2.a is m2.b
+
+  def test_pytree_flatten(self):
+    @struct.dataclass
+    class Tree:
+      a: int
+      b: str = struct.field(pytree_node=False)
+
+    p = Tree(1, 'a')
+
+    leaves, treedef = nnx.graph_utils._flatten_pytree(p)
+    fields = dict(leaves)
+
+    assert 'a' in fields
+    assert 'b' not in fields
+    assert fields['a'] == 1
+
+    p2 = nnx.graph_utils._unflatten_pytree(leaves, treedef)
+
+    assert isinstance(p2, Tree)
+    assert p2.a == 1
+
+  def test_pytree_node(self):
+    @struct.dataclass
+    class Tree:
+      a: nnx.Param[int]
+      b: str = struct.field(pytree_node=False)
+
+    class Foo(nnx.Module):
+      def __init__(self):
+        self.tree = Tree(nnx.Param(1), 'a')
+
+    m = Foo()
+
+    state, static = m.split()
+
+    assert 'tree' in state
+    assert 'a' in state.tree
+    assert static.subgraphs['tree'].type is nnx.graph_utils.PytreeType
+
+    m2 = static.merge(state)
+
+    assert isinstance(m2.tree, Tree)
+    assert m2.tree.a.raw_value == 1
+    assert m2.tree.b == 'a'
+    assert m2.tree.a is not m.tree.a
+    assert m2.tree is not m.tree