Stewartia

Fundamental Facts

HARDINESS: Zones 5 to 7
PREFERRED SOIL pH: Acid
PREFERRED SOIL TYPE: Well-drained, fertile, organic
PREFERRED LIGHT: Partial shade
ATTRIBUTES: White flowers, colorful fall foliage, flaking bark; for specimens
SEASON OF INTEREST: Year-round
FAVORITES: All species; select by size, hardiness, flower size, and fall leaf color
QUIRKS: Thrives only in preferred growing conditions
GOOD NEIGHBORS: Azalea, viburnum, ferns, groundcovers
WHERE IT GROWS BEST: In fertile, organic soil and afternoon shade
LONGEVITY: Lives at least 40 years when properly sited
POTENTIAL PROBLEMS: Quickly shows stress if grown in infertile, dry, or soggy soil
SOURCE: Nursery plants
DIMENSIONS: 15-60 ft (4.6-18.3 m) tall, to 30 ft (9.1 m) wide

Stewartia in the Landscape

Some trees, if given extra care, can tolerate many different habitats, even if they don't perform at their best. Not so with stewartias. If the habitat meets their needs, no extra care is necessary. But if conditions aren't right, no extra care will help them to adapt. If you do have a suitable spot, with fertile, well-drained, acid soil and partial shade, use it to grow a spectacular stewartia, which easily becomes the focus of any landscape in which it grows.

This is truly a tree for all seasons. In spring, it is clothed in lustrous, oval, slightly ribbed leaves. Related to camellias, stewartias boast a profusion of delicate, cup-shaped white flowers that open over several weeks in summer. After the leaves turn red and drop in fall, the peeling bark of the trunk is revealed. This trait becomes more dramatic as the tree matures.

You'll want to show off your stewartia as a stand-alone specimen, perhaps at the edge of the lawn, by a path, or at the edge of a wooded area. It will draw attention at the back of a shrub border, but keep its companions, such as azaleas and viburnums, short so that the trunk is visible. Stewartias also look striking rising from a swath of shade-tolerant groundcover, such as ferns, as arum, or periwinkle.

Selecting Stewartias

All stewartias have the same attractive features, which vary only slightly from one species to another. The most popular is Japanese stewartia (Stewartia pseudocamellia), which tops out at 60 ft (18.3 m) in the wild but usually grows 30-40 ft (9-12.2 m) in the garden. Its flowers are 2-3 in (5.1-7.6 cm) wide, the reddish bark flakes in large plates, and the fall foliage color is reddish purple. Its close relative, Korean stewartia (S. pteropetiolata var. koreana), has bright reddish orange fall foliage, and the flowers spread out wider than those of other species. It grows to 40 ft (12.2 m).The tall stewartia (S. monadelpha) can reach 60 ft (18.3 m) under ideal conditions, with an informal habit and smaller flowers, about 1 in (2.5 cm) across.

Two stewartias are native to the southeastern part of the continent. Showy stewartia (S. ovata var. grandiflom) has particularly large flowers, up to 4 in (10.2 cm) wide, and orange to scarlet fall foliage. It grows to about 15 ft (4.6 m). Virginia stewartia (S. malacodendron) also has a compact size and large flowers, but the blossoms emerge from leaf clusters and may be hidden by them. Both of these natives J do well in hot climates. Virginia stewartia is hardy only to Zone 7.

Growing Stewartia

Select a shady, protected site with well-drained, acid soil amended with organic matter. Stewartias transplant poorly and should be planted in their permanent location while still small. Plant in early spring with the soil ball intact to avoid damaging roots, and keep the soil moist the first season. Cover the root zone with a 3 in (7.6 cm) thick layer of organic mulch and water during droughts by letting a hose drip slowly onto the soil above the roots for several hours. A young tree will grow slowly for a few years and then gain 12-24 in (30.5-61 cm) of height annually until it reaches full size.

Stewartias are untroubled by pests and diseases. Pruning is unnecessary except to repair damaged limbs.