Description:

An incredible accent tree with magnificent mottled bark in cream, brown and tan, stunning in winter; showy large white flowers with orange centers in early summer; needs organic, acidic soil and protection from drying winds, a rather sensitive plant

Ornamental Features

Japanese Stewartia features delicate white flowers with orange anthers along the branches in mid summer. It has forest green deciduous foliage. The pointy leaves turn an outstanding red in the fall. The mottled khaki (brownish-green) bark is extremely showy and adds significant winter interest.

Landscape Attributes

Japanese Stewartia is a dense deciduous tree with a distinctive and refined pyramidal form. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition.

This is a relatively low maintenance tree, and should only be pruned after flowering to avoid removing any of the current season's flowers. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Japanese Stewartia is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Shade

Planting & Growing

Japanese Stewartia will grow to be about 40 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 30 feet. It has a low canopy with a typical clearance of 3 feet from the ground, and should not be planted underneath power lines. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 70 years or more.

This tree performs well in both full sun and full shade. It requires an evenly moist well-drained soil for optimal growth, but will die in standing water. It is very fussy about its soil conditions and must have rich, acidic soils to ensure success, and is subject to chlorosis (yellowing) of the foliage in alkaline soils. It is quite intolerant of urban pollution, therefore inner city or urban streetside plantings are best avoided, and will benefit from being planted in a relatively sheltered location. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This species is not originally from North America.