Styrax japonicus
Japanese Snowbell Tree, Japanese Snowdrop tree, Snowbell tree, Storax.
The common name really tells us a lot about this tree. From Japan it covers itself with flowers each year in late spring early summer making a spectacular show with its small perfectly shaped pendulous flowers all along the branchlets. When in full flower it is quite spectacular. Even if the flowers are quite small.
It is a small growing tree ideal for city gardens. It is hardy and slowly grows up to about 6m high with lovely fine horizontal branches which hold the flowers in interesting rows.
There are a number of specimens in Christchurch New Zealand with the most spectacular group being a short row near the new cricket pavilion in South Hagley Park.
The flowers are pendulous hanging down on slender stalks in rows beneath the branchlets. The pure white flowers are about 20mm wide with five petals and yellow conspicuous pistil and stamen and resemble snowdrops hence its common name. They are lightly fragrant. The seed when set do yield an oil. Other species yield different products.
As a slow growing small tree its leaves are quite small occasionally reaching up to 80mm long and sparsely toothed. They have small tufts of downy hair on the vein axils beneath the leaf.
It is a beautiful tree and needs to be grown as a single stemmed specimen tree with wide spreading, fanlike branches and little need for pruning. It is hardy in all locations. The leaves in autumn are red/yellow in colour.
There are a number of cultivars grown throughout the world that may be available in your country
Styrax japonicus is a native of Japan and Korea. iT was introduced into the UK in 1862 by Richard Oldham and given an Award of Garden Merit (AGM) in 1969 by the RHS. However there are other species in tropical and temperate parts of Asia, America and southern Europe.
Its name Styrax is an ancient Greek name for a tree now called Styrax officinalis.
Further photos can be seen on my pinterest page Styrax japonicus
The common name really tells us a lot about this tree. From Japan it covers itself with flowers each year in late spring early summer making a spectacular show with its small perfectly shaped pendulous flowers all along the branchlets. When in full flower it is quite spectacular. Even if the flowers are quite small.
It is a small growing tree ideal for city gardens. It is hardy and slowly grows up to about 6m high with lovely fine horizontal branches which hold the flowers in interesting rows.
There are a number of specimens in Christchurch New Zealand with the most spectacular group being a short row near the new cricket pavilion in South Hagley Park.
The flowers are pendulous hanging down on slender stalks in rows beneath the branchlets. The pure white flowers are about 20mm wide with five petals and yellow conspicuous pistil and stamen and resemble snowdrops hence its common name. They are lightly fragrant. The seed when set do yield an oil. Other species yield different products.
As a slow growing small tree its leaves are quite small occasionally reaching up to 80mm long and sparsely toothed. They have small tufts of downy hair on the vein axils beneath the leaf.
It is a beautiful tree and needs to be grown as a single stemmed specimen tree with wide spreading, fanlike branches and little need for pruning. It is hardy in all locations. The leaves in autumn are red/yellow in colour.
There are a number of cultivars grown throughout the world that may be available in your country
- S.j. 'Fargesii' a stronger growing form from China introduced to UK in 1925 and also given the AGM in1971
- S.j. 'Pink Chimes' Pink flowers
- S.j. 'Frosted Emerald' variegated leaves
- S.j. 'Fragrant Fountain' Weeping tree
- S.j. 'Marley's Pink' pink flowers
- S.j. 'Carillon' Weeping tree
- S.j. 'Evening Light' purple foliage
Styrax japonicus is a native of Japan and Korea. iT was introduced into the UK in 1862 by Richard Oldham and given an Award of Garden Merit (AGM) in 1969 by the RHS. However there are other species in tropical and temperate parts of Asia, America and southern Europe.
Its name Styrax is an ancient Greek name for a tree now called Styrax officinalis.
Further photos can be seen on my pinterest page Styrax japonicus