Stewartia, Japanese Stewartia pseudocamellia Height: 30 feet Spread: 20 feet
Sunlight:
Hardiness Zone: 6a 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 Stewartia, Japanese 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 Stewartia, Japanese 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. Stewartia, Japanese is recommended for the following landscape applications; Planting & Growing Stewartia, Japanese will grow to be about 30 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 20 feet. It has a high canopy with a typical clearance of 6 feet from the ground, and should not be planted underneath power lines. As it matures, the lower branches of this tree can be strategically removed to create a high enough canopy to support unobstructed human traffic underneath. 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 does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. This plant should be periodically fertilized throughout the active growing season with a specially-formulated acidic fertilizer. 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. Special Attributes Seeds are small in pods that are 1/2 to 3/4 inch and round opening in the winter to early spring.
