I LIKE PLANTS THAT EARN THEIR KEEP. By that I mean they do more than a week or two of showing off; they look good in more than a single moment, or season. The small-ish to medium trees in the genus Stewartia are a good bet if that’s the kind of multi-season interest you are looking for. Sound good?
The Latin specific epithet, or species name, of the Stewartia I grow is pseudocamellia, which roughly means it disguises itself as a camellia when in bloom (a nod to the look of its lovely and plentiful white June-into-July flowers, and the fact they are very distant relatives in the Tea Family).
But this Stewartia, from Japan, which gets to maybe 25 feet or so in a Northeast garden setting and is happy in part shade or sun, isn’t content to offer up just nice flowers for the privilege of living with you. It gives you peeling, lovely bark all season long (below), and hot fall color, too, as the leaves eventually change. I should warn that it grows slowly, so this is an investment piece, not instant success.
I like my stewartias to be multi-stem and breaking low from the base, instead of single-trunk, but such aesthetic considerations are up to you. A bigger cousin is S. monadelpha, also from Japan; S. koreana (from where it sounds like it’s from) is another showy choice. What I insist is that you at least agree to look at Stewartia next time you’re in a good woody plant nursery and think of this: What other garden-scale tree gives summer flowers (preceded by showy marble-size buds, bottom photo, by the way, in my pseudocamellia); hot fall foliage, plus winter interest in the form of textural bark and lovely structure?
Guess after reading this you already know the answer to today’s quiz, huh?
Welcome, Jim. Sorry to hear the tree is troubled. Though it is easy once established, it can be very fussy getting rooted in and adjusted after transplant (and suffer as yours seems to have in the process) and also HATES drought/lots of heat/baking conditions. Last summer in the Northeast was baking as I recall, and dry — was it there, too? Do you have a guarantee of some kind on the plant from the place you bought it? Many times a plant will not display its stress until it tries to break dormancy and leaf out again the next season — or even after! I have had trees flower the next spring after a stress, which made me so relieved, but then just up and die after the beautiful performance. I think the tree didn’t transplant successfully (too hot, too dry, too sunny a spot (it likes some shelter from worst sun/heat of the day).
Hi Margaret!
I realize this is an old post, but am trolling around your archives for ideas and this beauty caught my eye. In short: I’d like to give my best friend a long-living tree or shrub as a wedding present. My ideal criteria: Something that blooms in late June/early July (their anniversary is July 1), will do well in the Midwest (they live in Iowa), and could handle being gently transplanted in 2 years when they plan to move to another part of the state. (Though I suppose they could also take a cutting with them.)
A bonus would be a tree/shrub that produces fruit (they are prolific edible gardeners), but I worry all of those would be just too fragile. Would this Stewartia be a good choice? Any other suggestions?
Thanks so much. I adore your blog (just moved to the Hudson Valley two years ago and am working on my first-ever garden, so find daily inspiration here — and comfort/help when things don’t go according to plan!).
Cheers,
Virginia
Hi Margaret,
I think Virginia may not have checked the box down below which will notify you of follow up comments, as I don’t see a response from you here. So I figured I’d squeeze in my Stewartia question while we have your attention. :-) I live in the Boston area, just planted, in part-sun/shade location, a Stewartia on Mother’s Day. Overall the tree appears to be fine and doing well except for the fact that the leaves all have browned a little bit around the edges. All the leaves. I suspect I may have let it get too dry at various points over the summer? I will be sure to water it plenty until this year’s frost. After the winter is over, how much watering would the tree need during its second year?
Hi, Donna. I am afraid I can’t keep up with all the comments and questions, though I do try to do my best. In my years with this tree, it does tend to do that — get a little beat up early in a harsh season, and show its discomfort. The first year in the ground this will be especially so — many plants sulk a bit from the stress of transplanting. I think your plan is right: keep it cared for and watered until frost is in the ground. Generally speaking, trees and shrubs are still on the “extra TLC list” for the first two or three years after planting, as it can take some time to really re-establish.
Donna—I’m assuming the Stewartia you planted was psuedocamellia, the Japanese Stewartia, as this is one of the two “touchiest” Stewartias when it comes to leaf-burn (the other being, in my experience, Chinese Stewartia—sinensis—although it is much less frequently grown. The problem is not lack of water per se, but simply the direct effects of strong sunlight—for which additional water is useful. In hot sunny circumstances, the leaves just transpire more water than the trunk and stems usually deliver, so extra water helps. And your proposed solution will work fine, as Margaret says. Should be no problems with the tree leafing out next Spring. One trick I use with these and similar sensitive trees, is to put out a fine-mist sprinklerhead at the end of a hose under neath the tree for the 2-3 hours when the sun threatens to be particularly fierce on a hot day. The increased humidity is to the tree’s liking. My preference is to try to hit that “sweet spot” when parts of the leaves turn slightly pinkish, without the leaf actually starting to burn or shrivel. Nice color contrast which doesn’t hurt tree or leaf—if you can get it!
Thanks, Kf, for the detailed tactics. I often get some brown along with my fall color on this tree, even now, many years in the ground. It does hate a heatwave, especially late summer or fall here.
Margaret, maybe you can diagnose what’s wrong with my Stewartia pseudocamellia. When I brought it home from the nursery five years ago it was covered with blooms. Then it refused to bloom the first few years in my yard. I assumed it didn’t get enough sun so moved it to a sunnier spot. After a year of settling in there, it did produce a bunch of those nice, large marble-like buds this year. In August, a few started to open. I was so thrilled. But then most of the rest of the buds just dropped off, unopened.
Any ideas?
Hi, Bart. Stewartia are notoriously slow to adapt to transplant and hate being moved. They also seem to hate hot/dry spells, especially if they are not well rooted-in yet. In the early years with mine, I had more bud blast than I do now — but I did have some last year (2010) when we had a very hot, dry season.
It also gets crispy leaf margins if unhappy about the weather (again, if too hot/dry). Did you have that, too?
My tree is in part shade, which I think they prefer to a full-sun location (especially in brutal years like last year). I would not move yours again, and I’d water it very thoroughly (especially in summer) for its first several years in its new spot. I suspect it will settle down once its root system is really established — again, assuming it is kept thoroughly watered.
I am interested in training my newly planted Stewartia into the multi-stemmed form breaking from the base that you mentioned you like best. My tree is 3 ft tall and came in a one gallon pot. We live in the Mid-Atlantic region.
Your site is the reason I decided to get a Stewartia – thanks for the inspiration!
Hi, Catherine. I have always selected from among the plants at the nursery for one with the basic structure I prefer. I like ones that “break low” rather than having a single trunk with branches that start higher up it. I have never tried to train or otherwise correctively prune a Stewartia myself, so I don’t know if the 3-footer you have is already off to a strong start as a single-stem (whether someone has directed its form or not already, or whether it is the shape it is naturally) or has the potential to train from this point onward. Basically the idea is that the dominant vertical leader is cut out or reduced to encourage other trunks, and they are spaced well apart, not all bunched up; this is usually started from a very young age. I would NOT recommend trying this without advice from someone who can a) see your plant and its potential, and b) has experience doing such pruning. I don’t have a book here with a good diagram to take you through the steps, and again, I suspect with your 3-foot tree may already be well along in showing its habit, no?
I purchased a Stewartia tree during the summer of 2011. It was about 5 ft. tall. It had many blossoms on it . I expected them to open in the fall. They didn’t open and the squirrels invaded it and retreived the blossoms. I put a wind chime in the inner branches hoping to discourage them. The leaves turned a beautiful golden color as fall approached. I hope to get flowers next season. Is their any approach to discouraging the squirrels?
Hi, Joyce. Squirrels! No telling if they’ll even take interest in the same tree next year, but as for what to do to deter them wherever they are, I am not aware of any secrets. They really have minds of their own. Short of hiring a licensed nuisance wildlife control operator (in the yellow pages) — but that really seems extreme. :) Fingers crossed that they simply take interest in something else next year — my local group seems to have some new obsession every year.
By the way, I’m sure the flower buds “blasted” (failed to open) because of the stress of transplanting, and hopefully the plant starts to settle in over the spring and summer ahead. Sometimes even a year in the ground it can be a little sulky — not just Stewartia, but any tree or shrub that has been through root disturbance — so don’t panic if it’s less than full bloom in 2012, especially after a summer planting just he year before. It’s worth the wait.
@Joyce, We have several Stewartia here in NH and they always bloom early in the summer, late June/ early July. After blooming, they produce a brown fruit, which may be what you saw on the tree rather than flower buds.
Thanks, Paula, and welcome. Have never noticed that on mine! Will look more closely this fall to see.
We planted a Stewartia last summer- the buds are starting to swell now and I’m wondering if I need to give it some frost protection….I know that Japanese Maples need this in spring, but I wasn’t sure how sensitive Stewartias are. The temperatures have been all over the place this spring and I’m concerned about the 20 degree weather predicted for tonight…..
I live in central Ohio and I have been looking to buy a Mountain Stewartia but I can’t seem to find anyone locally that sells that kind. Common one is the Japanese Stewartia but that gets a little to tall. Is there anywhere online that I might be able to purchase from.
Thanks!
Hi, Teresa. The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center site says this nursery sells it and offers mail order. I don’t know beyond that — none of the “regular” places seem to sell it as you have found.
I have a 3 year old multi-trucked Stewartia growing beautifully except that 3 of the truck branches are barren and are growing lichen on them.
Should I cut them way back and if so when? Do not know what could have caused this, as the rest of the tree is well leaved and last year it flowered and burned a beautiful orange in the fall. HELP!
Hi, Dianne. Always remove dead, damaged or diseased wood as soon as it occurs, and this sounds like deadwood. You will need to cut back to near where it is live, but without leaving any awkward stubs, so you will have to let the pattern of the dead stuff and a bit of an artistic eye guide you.
As far as what happened? Sometimes root disturbance of some kind (burrowing animal? transplant shock — but that’s more common in the year after planting I think) can cause some of the tree to die off, or a weather incident (damage from wind/ice, or snow when the leaves were still on that stressed some branches and bent them) and so on. And sometimes you just never know.
I got several varieties of stewartia early this past winter at Camelia Forest Nursery in Chapel Hill, NC. They also do mail-order. The mountain stewartia is not listed as being in stock now, but if you email them, they sometimes have plants that are not on the website. One of my favorite nurseries for unusual plants! The ones I bought were all very small (and very inexpensive) but have already doubled in size, and done very well. I just potted them up (into larger containers) when I bought them.
Thanks, Marilyn, for the tip — that’s a great nursery, you are right. Hope to see you again soon.
Dear Margaret, My neighbor and the former owner of our house brought home a Stewartia sapling from a friend. It is in the middle of our properties. My neighbor leaves it up to me to take care of this beautiful tree. My problem is that the trunk started growing crooked and it was sadly pruned at the bottom about three feet up so that it is not multi-trunked. I have this strong urge to give it a shape and prune the top and lopsided branches. We have lived here three years and didn’t really know what kind of tree it was till recently. Should I just let it grow and do it’s thing and resist the temptation to prune? I suppose it is just to late to correct anything. It is still pretty and blooming like crazy right now. Thanks, Carole
Hi, Carole. I would not top a Stewartia or try to drastically adjust its growth but then again I can’t see the plant from here! If there are some branches that are really out of place I might remove one (such as if they were crossing inward or in an otherwise awkward position that could amount to no good), but I wouldn’t behead it by cutting the top back partway, of that I feel certain.
I have a lovely garden up here west of boston, some 30 years in the making.. we are moving to south carolina in a year, between hilton head and savannah. one of the trees I long to plant is a stewardia, any suggestions to get it strong and healthy there? I know you have said that this tree does not like extended drought or heat…suggestions for me?
Hi, Susan; sorry for the delay in seeing your question. There are various species with varied hardiness-zone ranges, but S. pseudocamellia doesn’t like it warmer than Zone 7. The most heat-tolerant, I think, are S. monadelpha (Zone 5-8), ovata (5-8) and especially malacodendron (7-9). I think the latter is probably the one for you — but best to ask county cooperative extension service or a local nursery first!
We want to plant a small tree to fill a 20′ tall space between two windows a little over 6′ apart. It will be plante about 6′ in front of the house. A local nursery ( southern Maine) has a beautiful, 5′ stewartia. Will this tree work, or will it grow too large? Thanks for any advice you might give.
Hi, Elizabeth. The mature tree can be 20-plus feet high AND wide, so seems far too big for that tight a spot. Sounds like you need something columnar/fastigiate in habit, that won’t cover the windows, no?
Will the tree adjust to the space? It doesn’t matter too much if the garage windows are covered.
Can you suggest something else that might work better? We’re zone 5; them space gets at least six hours of sun a day.
Thank you.
* THE space…
Dear Margaret,
In Sept. of 2008 we planted a Japanese Stewartia on the East side of our Detroit home. We bought it from a Nursery in Ohio because we couldn’t find it local. During transporting the leader was cracked. It is a single leader tree. We taped it and the following Spring another leader emerged. The original leader is still growing but at 25% of the rate of the new leader, which has now divided into two branches. This is now around 12 -14 foot tall. Question: How do I prune this tree? It has many branches at the bottom that are grazing the ground. Shall I cut them off? Do I prune the new leader off at the base where it came from the other 1st leader? I picked it out of a group knowing nothing of seeking “multi-stem” speciman. She is blooming now and well adjusted. Just looks top heavy with that leader and bushy up to 3 foot off the ground. Thanks, Laney
Hi, Laney. Hard for me to tell without seeing it — at least in a photo, maybe. You can email me at awaytogarden at gmail of you want. Even then, always hard other than in person, but let’s have a look.
Dear Margaret,
I planted a Stewartia last Spring (2011) and at the time of planting, it was quite tall with very little growth at the top, but I thought it would fill in more this Spring. In reading about them, I’m not sure if this tree would be considered single stem or multiy stem, because at the bottom of the tree it is muti-stem but this one limb (I guess you would call it the leader) goes above and beyond the others by about 3′. My question is, would it hurt the appearance if I cut that 3′ section down to where the other branches and limbs are? As far as I’m concerned, it looks out of place, but I don’t want to make it look worse as it continues to grow. That section did not have much new growth on it this Spring (in fact, it looks the same as it did all of last year). The leaf color is a nice deep green and it had an adequate amount of flowers this year, and had some new growth, but I’m just not liking how it looks at the top of the tree. What do you suggest? My local nurseryman told me that they are very difficult to transplant and very hard to acquire, so I took it because of all the positive things I’ve read about them. But, it’s not like I had a choice in trees, because this is the only one they had.
Hi, Bobbi. A Stewartia won’t respond well to topping (most trees won’t) and it will take time to become a grown-up and achieve its eventual shape I think (you don’t say how tall it is now?). Its natural shape is for the central leader to be somewhat taller than the secondary ones, so that the center of the tree even after many years will remain narrower and taller — it is somewhat pyramidal though oval (the overall shape) as it grows up. Of course if next spring that leader looks lifeless…you will have no choice but to cut. Hope not!
This makes a great story! I love small trees.
I used to live on the grounds of Hersheys Azalea Farm (PA) where there are various tree specimens, including Stewartia and Franklinia.
Me, too, Michael. Nice to see you.
Margaret-
I am considering a stewartia to plant at the corner of my house. Its a tiny house (700 sq ft) and the roofline at that NW corner starts at about 10 ft high. We live in the northwest outside of seattle so summers are short but dry and other than about of week of 90 degree weather, temps stay in the mid 70s. This corner gets some early morning sun and late afternoon everning sun. in July and August, that means about 6 hours of sun at the end of the day. The rest of the year we have hardly any sun at all because of the grey raining 8 month winter. will a stewartia thrive there? Also, our natural soil is heavy river bottom clay and I will have to prepare a large non-native gravel lined soil hole for the tree. Advice on how big a hole for this tree to assure I don’t get the soup bowl effect and drown the tree in wet feet in winter? And advice on what soil mix to use? . The yard is about as small as the house so every plant/tree needs gets great treatment to succeed but then must perform or out it goes. This location is qujte visible from the front walk and the back yard we want a tree that will be happy and atractive. we like the stewartia or perhaps one of the kousa dogwoods which seem do fine here. it neither will work we can always find a jap maple which are as ubiquitous as grass around here Thanks
Hi, Tamara. I think I’d listen to the info at the Elisabeth Carey Miller garden’s Great Plant Picks site. They are in Seattle. I have seen various species of Stewartia as mature trees in the Washington Park Arboretum, where they grow in the recommended light to open shade. They will need irrigation when weather is dry. The species Great Plant Picks recommends are pseudocamellia and monadelpha.
Hi Margaret,
I just purchased a 6 foot Stewartia Pseudocamellia that I had intended to use as a shade tree. I had intended to place it in a sunny SW corner in my yard to provide some much needed shade. I’ve come to learn that these are pretty slow growing, so am wondering whether I made a wrong choice….. Do you know what the growth rate is for these trees and if there is any way to encourage faster growth? I’m in Seattle. I’d appreciate your advice! Thanks!
Hi, Nancy. I have read that it grows 6-10 inches a year, and I’d say I have had about that, too. Slow. And no, don’t try feeding it a lot or anything; it needs to do its thing in its own time. :)
Hello,
Does anyone know if Stewartia koreana or pseudocamellia is more hardy than the other?
Thanks!
Hi, Wil. Michael Dirr lists pseudocamellia as 5 (maybe 4) to 7 and koreana as 5 to 7. Meaning maybe pseudocamellia is a tiny bit more cold-hardy. But wow, seems very close.