Description
Styrax – Snowbell –
There are approximately 100, deciduous or evergreen shrubs and small trees in this genus. They are found naturally occurring in woodlands and thickets in Eastern Asia, and North America, including Mexico, with one from Europe. They are grown for their graceful habit, flowers, and their alternate, short stalked, variably shaped smooth edged or toothed leaves. The daintily, nodding, bell shaped or sup shaped, fragrant white flowers may be solitary, borne in pendent, terminal or axillary racemes or panicles or produced in clusters on short branchlets, they appear on previous year wood in spring or summer. Grow as specimens or in a woodland garden.
Grow in moist but well drained, fertile, humus rich, neutral to acidic soil in full sun or partial shade with cool moist summers.
S. grandifolius – Bigleaf Snowbell – This spreading, deciduous shrub found from Virginia to Georgia grows 8-15′ feet tall and 6′ feet wide. Young branches and flower buds have a downy coating. It produces slightly rounded to broadly ovate, dark green leaves, up to 7″ long, gray woolly beneath. In early summer, bear pendent racemes, 4-8″ long, of 7-12 fragrant bell shaped, white flowers, up to 1″ across.
Zones 6-8
