Description
Meliosma –
There are about 25 species of evergreen and deciduous trees and shrubs in this genus. They occur in forest from India, and Sri Lanka to Japan, and in Mexico, Central America and Tropical South America. They produce alternate leaves that are simple, sometimes pinnate, and mid to dark green. In spring or summer it bears large panicles of tiny, cup and saucer shaped, 5 petalled, fragrant flowers. Grow as specimen plants in a shrub border or woodland garden.
Grow in moderately fertile, moist but well drained, neutral to slightly acidic soil in full sun with some midday shade. Shelter from cold drying winds.
M.dilleniifolia – This spreading, deciduous shrub or tree from the Himalayas, China, and Japan grows 30-50′ feet tall and 10-20′ feet wide. From softly hairy stems it bears obovate to oblong, toothed, rough, mid green leaves, 1-10″ long,, softly hairy beneath. In late spring and early summer it bears erect, terminal panicles, to 20″ long, of very fragrant, yellow-white flowers that age to white, followed by spherical black fruit, to 1/4″ across.
Zones 9-10
