Japanese stewartiaprovides a show for every season.
The showy blossoms begin as large marble-shape white buds.
The sprouts open to reveal white cup-shape flowers with bright orange centers.
As summer turns to fall, stewartia foliage turnsshades of bronze and purpleto usher in the season.
After the leaves drop, this small tree’s peeling bark takes center stage.
The reddish-brown bark provides interest through winter.
How and When to Plant Japanese Stewartia
Plant Japanese stewartia in spring or early summer.
Stewartia is commonly sold as a large, multistem shrub, as well as a tree.
Check your local nursery for plant forms available in your area.
Potted specimens require a planting hole roughly twice the size of their root ball.
Amend the backfill with compost.
Backfill with amended soil, tamp lightly, and water well to remove air pockets.
Water regularly as the roots take hold.
Japanese Stewartia Care Tips
Light
Japanese stewartia grows best infull sun.
Soil and Water
Japanese stewartia thrives in moist, well-drained soil rich in organic matter.
Sandy or loamy soils are best with an acidic to neutral pH range.
Water plants regularly during the first year after planting to encourage a deep, extensive root system.
Continue to water deeply during extended dry periods.
Temperature and Humidity
Japanese stewartia tolerates cold winters down to zone 5.
Mulch around the root zone in colder months and protect the tree from drying winter winds.
In the hot, humid climates of its southern range, the tree performs best with afternoon shade.
Fertilizer
Fertilize Japanese stewartia once in the spring using a balanced, granular fertilizer.
For the amount to use and program process, follow product label directions.
Winter is the ideal time to prune but anytime after flowering is fine.
Pests and Problems
Japanese stewartia has no serious insect or disease issues.
Take several soft-wood cuttings in early summer or semi-hardwood cuttings in mid- or late summer.
With sterilized pruners, snip off a 3- to 5-inch cutting and remove all but the top few leaves.
Scrape the bark off the cut end and dip it into rooting hormone.
Place the cut end into a pot filled with moistened potting mix and firm the medium around the stem.
Put the potted cutting in bright, indirect light, keeping the soil moist.
Place the pot in a cool spot (around 40 degrees is ideal) for the winter.
If your cutting roots, the sapling can be planted in the garden in the spring.
‘Cascade’ Japanese Stewartia
‘Cascade’ is a semi-weeping form with drooping branches and red-purple fall foliage.
‘Pilar Bella’ Japanese Stewartia
‘Pilar Bella’ features large flowers on a columnar-shaped tree.
Plus, they’re easy-to-grow plants that are hardy in most regions of the country.
Spireas are very fast-growing.
Among the types of spirea available, Japanese spirea is known to have good deer resistance.
It also attracts bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects.
Zones 4-10
Ninebark
Ninebark(Physocarpusspp.)
is an extremely versatile plant.
Its fast-growing habit and appealing winter bark makes ninebark shrub a garden favorite.
The traditional ninebark foliage color is a deep purple, but new foliage colors include gold and amber.
Some varieties even fade from one color to another as they age.
Zones 3-7
Shrub Rose
There are landscape-worthy roses that dont require constant devotion.
Some of the best fall into the aptly-namedshrub roseclass.
Flowers are followed by brownish-green woody fruits that disperse their seeds in a burst.
When grown in an optimal environment, Japanese stewartia may live for 70 to 150 years.
Stewartia pseudocamilliais named for John Stuart, a 16th-century Scottish botanist and 3rd Earl of the Isle of Bute.
In fact, the Japanese name for stewartia,natsu tsubaki, means summer camellia.
