diff --git a/xarray/backends/zarr.py b/xarray/backends/zarr.py
index 242507f9c20..3fc2cd40ebe 100644
--- a/xarray/backends/zarr.py
+++ b/xarray/backends/zarr.py
@@ -1218,8 +1218,53 @@ def open_datatree(
         zarr_version=None,
         **kwargs,
     ) -> DataTree:
-        from xarray.backends.api import open_dataset
+
         from xarray.core.datatree import DataTree
+
+        groups_dicts = self.open_groups_as_dict(
+            filename_or_obj=filename_or_obj,
+            mask_and_scale=mask_and_scale,
+            decode_times=decode_times,
+            concat_characters=concat_characters,
+            decode_coords=decode_coords,
+            drop_variables=drop_variables,
+            use_cftime=use_cftime,
+            decode_timedelta=decode_timedelta,
+            group=group,
+            mode=mode,
+            synchronizer=synchronizer,
+            consolidated=consolidated,
+            chunk_store=chunk_store,
+            storage_options=storage_options,
+            stacklevel=stacklevel,
+            zarr_version=zarr_version,
+            **kwargs,
+        )
+
+        return DataTree.from_dict(groups_dicts)
+
+    def open_groups_as_dict(
+        self,
+        filename_or_obj: str | os.PathLike[Any] | BufferedIOBase | AbstractDataStore,
+        *,
+        mask_and_scale=True,
+        decode_times=True,
+        concat_characters=True,
+        decode_coords=True,
+        drop_variables: str | Iterable[str] | None = None,
+        use_cftime=None,
+        decode_timedelta=None,
+        group: str | Iterable[str] | Callable | None = None,
+        mode="r",
+        synchronizer=None,
+        consolidated=None,
+        chunk_store=None,
+        storage_options=None,
+        stacklevel=3,
+        zarr_version=None,
+        **kwargs,
+    ) -> dict[str, Dataset]:
+        from xarray.backends.api import open_dataset
         from xarray.core.treenode import NodePath
 
         filename_or_obj = _normalize_path(filename_or_obj)
@@ -1241,7 +1286,7 @@ def open_datatree(
                 ds = open_dataset(
                     filename_or_obj, group=parent, engine="zarr", **kwargs
                 )
-                return DataTree.from_dict({str(parent): ds})
+                return {str(parent): ds}
         else:
             parent = NodePath("/")
             stores = ZarrStore.open_store(
@@ -1256,26 +1301,44 @@ def open_datatree(
                 stacklevel=stacklevel + 1,
                 zarr_version=zarr_version,
             )
-        ds = open_dataset(filename_or_obj, group=parent, engine="zarr", **kwargs)
-        tree_root = DataTree.from_dict({str(parent): ds})
-        for path_group, store in stores.items():
-            ds = open_dataset(
-                filename_or_obj, store=store, group=path_group, engine="zarr", **kwargs
-            )
-            new_node: DataTree = DataTree(name=NodePath(path_group).name, data=ds)
-            tree_root._set_item(
-                path_group,
-                new_node,
-                allow_overwrite=False,
-                new_nodes_along_path=True,
+        groups_dict = {}
+        for path_group, group_store in stores.items():
+            group_ds = open_dataset(
+                filename_or_obj,
+                store=group_store,
+                group=path_group,
+                engine="zarr",
+                mask_and_scale=mask_and_scale,
+                decode_times=decode_times,
+                concat_characters=concat_characters,
+                decode_coords=decode_coords,
+                drop_variables=drop_variables,
+                use_cftime=use_cftime,
+                decode_timedelta=decode_timedelta,
+                **kwargs,
             )
-        return tree_root
+            # store_entrypoint = StoreBackendEntrypoint()       # |
+            # with close_on_error(group_store):                 # |
+            #     group_ds = store_entrypoint.open_dataset(     # |
+            #             group_store,                          # |
+            #             mask_and_scale=mask_and_scale,        # |
+            #             decode_times=decode_times,            # |
+            #             concat_characters=concat_characters,  # |---> This is slower than using `open_dataset`
+            #             decode_coords=decode_coords,          # |
+            #             drop_variables=drop_variables,        # |
+            #             use_cftime=use_cftime,                # |
+            #             decode_timedelta=decode_timedelta,    # |
+            #         )                                         # |
+            group_name = str(NodePath(path_group))  # |
+            groups_dict[group_name] = group_ds
+        return groups_dict
 
 
 def _iter_zarr_groups(root, parent="/"):
     from xarray.core.treenode import NodePath
 
     parent = NodePath(parent)
+    yield parent
     for path, group in root.groups():
         gpath = parent / path
         yield str(gpath)