Styrax japonicus
Japanese Snowbell
China, Japan
Small, low-branched tree which develops a rounded to broad-rounded crown and a distinct horizontal appearance because of its wide-spreading branches.
Sun, in a moist, well-drained soil. Has considerable heat tolerance.
A handsome small tree for many situations; excellent near the patio, in the lawn, or in the shrub border.
Medium to dark green in summer, often lustrous, unusually pest-free; changing to yellowish or reddish in the fall.
Buds are small, sessile, naked, scurfy, superposed, .16 to .25 inches long.
Gray-brown of smooth consistency but showing irregular, organish brown, and interlacing fissures.
Perfect, .75 wide, white, yellow-stamened, slightly fragrant, bell-shaped, corolla 5-lobed being united near base, each flower borne on a 1 to 1.5 inch long penulous stalk, occuring on short lateralshoots, each with 3 to 6 flowers, May-June.
Dry drupe, ovoid, about .5 long, grayish in color and less than obvious; effective in August and often falling by November; containing a single shiny brown hard seed.
Cuttings.
'Angyo Dwarf' - 8 to 10 feet tall, slightly fragrant flowers.
'Benibana Group' - Soft pink flowers.
'Crystal' - Dark green leaves, white flowers with purple pedicels and sepals.
