Stewartia sinensis: Flower Description
White flowers are showy and slightly fragrant appear mid-summer
Plant Profile: Stewartia sinensis
Names
Chinese Stewartia
Phonetic Spelling:stew-ART-ee-uh sy-NEN-sis
Genus:Stewartia
Species:sinensis
Family:Theaceae
Chinese Stewartia is a petite flowering tree indigenous to China. It features aromatic white blossoms, vibrant red foliage in autumn, and distinctive bark that peels in shades of brown and purple. For optimal growth, it should be planted in full sun or partial shade, ideally in moist, well-drained soils rich in organic matter and acidic in nature. Additionally, it is important to protect this tree from harsh winds.
Stewartia sinensis Feature Summary
Stewartia sinensis Image Gallery
Tags
#showy flowers
#deciduous
#small tree
#interesting bark
#white flowers
#fragrant leaves
#cottage garden
#flowering tree
#mid-summer flowers
#deciduous tree
#exfoliating bark
Similar Plants
Stewartia sinensis is often confused with:
Stewartia sinensis Feature Summary
Flowers
White flowers are showy and slightly fragrant appear mid-summer
White
Fragrant
Showy
Summer
Leaves
Simple, dark green ovate leaves turn bright red in the fall.
Deciduous
Green
Red/Burgundy
Simple
Ovate
1-3 inches
Bark
Attributes
Whole Plant Traits
Tree
Deciduous
Cultural Conditions
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Acid (<6.0)
Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Good Drainage
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Stem
Landscape
Cottage Garden
Flowering Tree
Small Tree
Stewartia sinensis Image Gallery
Stewartia sinensis Flowers
Stewartia sinensis: Flower Color
White
Stewartia sinensis: Flower Value To Gardener
Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long Bloom Season
Long-lasting
Showy
Stewartia sinensis: Flower Bloom Time
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Stewartia sinensis Leaves
Stewartia sinensis: Leaf Description
Simple, dark green ovate leaves turn bright red in the fall.
Stewartia sinensis: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics
Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen
Stewartia sinensis: Leaf Color
Green
Stewartia sinensis: Deciduous Leaf Fall Color
Red/Burgundy
Stewartia sinensis: Leaf Type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
Needles
Sheath
Simple
Stewartia sinensis: Leaf Shape
Acicular
Auriculate
Cordate
Cuneate
Deltoid
Elliptical
Filiform
Lanceolate
Linear
Oblanceolate
Oblong
Obovate
Obtuse
Orbicular
Ovate
Palmasect
Palmatifid
Peltate
Pinnatifid
Pinnatisect
Reniform
Rhomboidal
Spatulate
Subcordate
Subulate
Stewartia sinensis: Hairs Present
No
Yes
Stewartia sinensis: Leaf Length
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches
Stewartia sinensis Bark
Stewartia sinensis: Bark Description
Brown-purple peeling bark
Stewartia sinensis: Bark Color
Light Brown
Stewartia sinensis: Surface/Attachment
Bumpy
Exfoliating
Fissured
Furrowed
Lenticels
Papery
Patchy
Peeling
Ridges
Scaly
Shaggy
Shiny
Shredding
Smooth
Spongy
Stewartia sinensis Attributes
Stewartia sinensis: Life Cycle
Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody
Stewartia sinensis: Recommended Propagation Strategy
Division
Grafting
Layering
Leaf Cutting
Root Cutting
Seed
Stem Cutting
Stewartia sinensis Whole Plant Traits
Stewartia sinensis: Plant Type
Annual
Bulb
Carnivorous
Edible
Epiphyte
Fern
Ground Cover
Herb
Herbaceous Perennial
Houseplant
Mushroom
Native Plant
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Perennial
Poisonous
Rose
Shrub
Succulent
Tree
Turfgrass
Vegetable
Vine
Water Plant
Weed
Wildflower
Stewartia sinensis: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics
Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen
Stewartia sinensis Cultural Conditions
Stewartia sinensis: Light
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Stewartia sinensis: Soil pH
Acid (<6.0)
Alkaline (>8.0)
Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Stewartia sinensis: Soil Drainage
Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry
Stewartia sinensis: Soil Texture
Clay
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky
Stewartia sinensis Stem
Stewartia sinensis: Stem Is Aromatic
No
Yes
Stewartia sinensis Landscape
Stewartia sinensis: Landscape Theme
Asian Garden
Butterfly Garden
Children's Garden
Cottage Garden
Cutting Garden
Drought Tolerant Garden
Edible Garden
English Garden
Fairy Garden
Garden for the Blind
Native Garden
Nighttime Garden
Pollinator Garden
Rain Garden
Rock Garden
Shade Garden
Water Garden
Winter Garden
Stewartia sinensis: Design Feature
Accent
Barrier
Border
Flowering Tree
Foundation Planting
Hedge
Mass Planting
Screen/Privacy
Security
Shade Tree
Small groups
Small Tree
Specimen
Street Tree
Understory Tree
