Stewartia pseudocamellia

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Japanese Stewartia

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Ericales
Family: Theaceae
Genus: Stewartia
Species: S. pseudocamellia
Binomial name
Stewartia pseudocamellia
Maxim.

Stewartia pseudocamellia (also Stuartia pseudocamellia; Japanese Stewartia or Deciduous Camellia; Japanese: ナツツバキ natsutsubaki, "summer camellia";[1] Korean: 노각나무 "overripe cucumber tree"[2]) is a plant species in the genus Stewartia in the family Theaceae, native to Japan (southern Honshū, Kyūshū, Shikoku) and Korea. It is a small to medium sized deciduous tree, growing to 10-15 m (rarely to 18 m) tall[3][4] often with multiple stems and/or low branching trunks. The bark is smooth textured, exfoliating as the plants age, and has a camouflaged or mottled appearance with patterns of dull orange and green with grey mixed in. The trees are pyramidal to rounded in shape with deep green coloured foliage. Young stems have a zig-zag shape with flattened, divergent buds. The leaves are 4-12 cm long and 2.5-5 cm broad, arranged alternately on the stems with an elliptical shape and finely serrated edges. In the fall the foliage turns yellow, red or purple. The flowers are up to 8 cm wide, with five white petals with orange anthers; they are shaped like Camellia flowers, round and flat to somewhat cupped. They are produced in summer, generally in June until the end of August; each flower is short-lived, but many are produced that open over many weeks. The fruit is a brown capsule, triangular in shape with four or five angles, persistent on the trees but not showy.[1][2][4]

There are two varieties:[3][4]

  • Stewartia pseudocamellia var. japonica Maxim. Japan. Flowers open cup-shaped.
  • Stewartia pseudocamellia var. koreana (Nakai ex Rehd.) Sealy. Korea. Flowers open flat. Often treated as a separate species S. koreana Nakai ex Rehd., mainly in Korea.[2]

[edit] Cultivation

S. psuedocamellia is an attractive ornamental tree that grows best in rich organic soils with good drainage and consistent moisture throughout the year. The trees generally require some light shade in the afternoon as they resent the hot afternoon sun, especially if dry. Plants are used as specimen plantings in shrub borders or as specimen lawn plantings with year round interest. It can be temperamental to establish and younger trees transplant best.[5] When grown with single trunks they form taller more pyramidal shaped trees, when having multiply trunks plants tend to grow shorter and spread out wider. In the wild in Japan plants have been known to grow 18 m tall, and in cultivation it has already reached up to 15 m tall.[6] It was introduced into western cultivation in 1874, and has survived winters as cold as −30 °C[7].

[edit] Gallery

Flower

Foliage and fruit

Foliage

Foliage closeup

Foliage and fruit

Trunk and distinctive bark

Branching from trunk

A bud in early spring

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b (Japanese)Trees and shrubs of Japan: natsutsubaki.
  2. ^ a b c (Korean)Korean Forest Research Institute: Korean Stewartia.
  3. ^ a b Bean, W. J. (1980). Trees and Shrubs Hardy in the British Isles 4: 507-513. ISBN 0-7195-2428-8.
  4. ^ a b c Rushforth, K. (1999). Collins Photographic Guide to Trees. ISBN 0-00-220013-9.
  5. ^ Stewartia pseudocamellia
  6. ^ Tree Register of the British Isles
  7. ^ Dirr, M. (1983). Manual of woody landscape plants: their identification, ornamental characteristics, culture, propagation and uses. Champaign, Ill, Stipes Pub. Co.: page 667. ISBN 0-87563-226-2
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