A tale of two trees: Stewartia pseudocamellia ...

As gardeners who love unusual trees, we've been aided and abetted in this passion by Olbrich Botanical Gardens who consistently offered trees and shrubs we'd never seen elsewhere at their annual sale. Many of them were part of silent auctions enabling us to purchase a few specimens at not much over the minimum bid. That's how we got Stewartia pseudocamellia (Japanese Stewartia) for only $18.00 in 2000 (about 15 Euros at today's rate of exchange). Alas these days the emphasis at the plant sale is on fancy container plantings. 

 

We'd seen the Stewartia in summer in full flower at the Boston Public Garden a few years earlier, and were thrilled to be able to add it to our garden. I have to admit that we did not site it to its best advantage visually. You can't really see the tree until fall when it turns a spectacular coral pink making its presence known. Though it's grown steadily and looks happy, it's never bloomed for us; so I've given up even looking for Stewartia flowers each summer.

 

Matt Mattus, of Growing With Plants, recently blogged about the blooms on his 15-year-old Stewartia pseudocamellia. He particularly noted that the spent flowers "tumble down to the ground at dusk."  And there they repose looking like fried eggs, according to Matt. I couldn't quite imagine it myself, but he's a consummate gardener and always knows what he's talking about.

 

A few hours after reading Matt's Stewartia post, I made an evening tour of the garden desultorily dead-heading and picking up storm-tossed twigs and branches. When I bent down to pick some up, I thought, "what are those mushy brown blobs all over the grass?" That's when I noticed a couple of "eggs," sunny-side up, and realized the Stewartia had bloomed for the first time — ever — and we'd virtually missed it. There must have been two dozen brown blossoms scattered throughout the grass and I could just barely make out a few in full flower at the top of the tree.
 

 

I brought one of the faded Stewartia blooms indoors and put it in a little dish above the kitchen sink where I knew Mark would be sure to see it when he came home from work. By then it was dark out, so he couldn't do much more than stare at the Stewartia on the sink. In the morning, he immediately grabbed a ladder and climbed up high enough to capture a flower in situ, complete with a drop of morning dew! 

 

My notes indicate Stewartia pseudocamellia is a July bloomer, but like so many plants this year, it peaked and will have finished blooming before July arrives. But now that it's finally flowered, I'll be on the lookout next year so I don't miss this display again. I will also be ready to be disappointed since Matt noted that his Stewartia did not bloom at all last year!

Comments

[Les]

I was suprised that the Stewartia was even hardy for you and that the Cercis struggles. I would have guessed the other way around. I have a 'Forest Pansy' and it grows well, except that it has been attacked by a large and ugle brown scale for the past 4 years. I finally broke down and went chemo on it, applying a systemic drench which worked. It was the first pesticide I have purchased in nearly a decade. BTW, you got a great price on the Stewartia.

[Lisa at Greenbow]

What a happy find. These blooms remind me of poppy blooms. Beautiful.

[Jean]

I was just reading about Stewartia today, so what a happy coincidence. I think it's lovely and I know you're super happy that it finally bloomed. Hope it happens again next year!

[Lynn]

So happy it bloomed for you at last. The ones on Cornell campus (sited in a protected spot) were at their height a couple of weeks ago, and I'd agree with Matt's eggy description. I love their bark especially, and one has a trunk that's shaped like a woman's, um, bust. I'll post a pic one day.