Stewartia pseudocamellia (Japanese Stewartia)

Noted for its attractive exfoliating bark, fall color, and delicate blooms, award-winning Stewartia pseudocamellia (Japanese Stewartia) is a small deciduous tree with multiseason interest. Delicate, cup-shaped, white flowers, 2.5 in. wide (6 cm), adorned with showy orange-yellow anthers, appear in early summer in the leaf axils. Resembling camellias, they open in succession for a long-lasting display. The summer foliage of ovate, dark green leaves turns brilliant shades of red, orange, and burgundy in the fall. The shedding of leaves exposes the flaky, multicolored bark that peels in gray, orange, and reddish-brown strips, adding winter interest. Slow-growing, Japanese Stewartia features an elegant pyramidal habit and is one of the glories of the garden.

• Winner of the prestigious Award of Garden Merit of the Royal Horticultural Society.
• Typically grows up to 12-40 ft. tall (3.6-12 m) and 8-25 ft. wide (2.4-7.5 m)
• A full sun to part shade lover, this plant is best grown in moderately fertile, moist, well-drained soils. Provide a site sheltered from cold, dry winds, as cold winds may damage buds and flowers.
• Great flowering shrub for mixed shrub borders, woodland gardens, or as a specimen plant.
• Virtually pest and disease free
• Propagate by softwood cuttings in early summer or semi-hardwood cuttings in mid to late summer. Propagate by seed sown outdoors in the fall
• Prune after flowering.
• Native to Japan