Description
Stewartia – Stuartia –
There are 15-20 deciduous or evergreen trees and shrubs, closely allied to Camellias, in this genus. They are found naturally occurring from woodlands in Eastern Asia and Southeastern USA. They are grown for their often colored and peeling, sometime in a camouflage cloth like pattern bark, their elliptical simple, usually toothed, 2-6″ long leaves, which color to bright orange and red in autumn, and their cup shaped white flowers, to 4″ across with prominent stamens, carried singly or in clusters of 2 or 3’s. Use as a specimen.
Grow in moist but well drained, moderately fertile, humus rich, neutral to acidic soil in full sun or light, dappled shade, with shelter from strong winds.
S. malacodendron – Silky Stewartia – Mallow Tree – Silky Camellia – Virginia Stewartia -This broadly columnar, deciduous tree or upright, bushy shrub from Southeastern USA, grows 15-30′ feet tall and half as wide. It produces ovate, finely toothed, dark green leaves, 2-4″ long, downy beneath which turn reddish purple in autumn. Rose like white flowers, 4″ across, cup shaped at first, with blue gray anthers and purplish filaments and often purple streaks on the petals, are borne singly along the shoots in early or mid summer. Needs warm summers to flower well.
Zones 7-9
