How to Grow and Care for Stewartia

Chinese stewartia (Stewartia sinensis) is a deciduous, ornamental tree that will grow to 7 m tall and 7 m wide. A slow-growing tree that can live for 70 years or more. Low maintenance, it makes a great shade or accent tree for the garden. Grows in full sun or partial shade and features a distinctive pyramidal form. Blooms in summer with large, showy white flowers with orange centers.

The Upright Stewartia is an ornamental shrub that can reach up to 10 m tall. The blooms are similar to white camellia flowers, and it also has beaked-red fruits. It’s different from the Chinese Stewartia because its bark does not peel and is highly sought after because of its ornamental value.

Although named the japanese silky camellia, this flowering tree is actually a false camellia found in the tea family. Its white, silky flowers are attractive to bees, which make up its primary pollinating and seed-dispersal method.

Orange-bark stewartia is a deciduous tree known for its picturesque, tiered branching structure and mottled, exfoliating bark. Featuring large, white camellia-like flowers in early summer, it provides a striking visual interest. The leaves, vibrant green turning to fiery red-orange in fall, enhance its ornamental appeal. Orange-bark stewartia thrives in well-drained, acidic soil within temperate woodland settings.