Sturdy shrub to small tree with a broad, pyramidal crown that eventually becomes oval. In the wild to more than 10 m tall, but in culture no taller than approx. 8 m. Unlike S. pseudocamellia, the bark of S. rostrata does not flake off. The leaf emerges as reddish turning dark green in summer. In autumn it turns deep red. The single flowers appear in June. They are white with yellow stamens. The sepals are typically twisted, different from S. sinensis. The blossom is followed by the capsules that are initially red before lignifying. They are round with a long beak (rostrata - “beaked”). They burst open into five segments at the tip and contain four seeds per locule. Rare tree whose main ornamental value is created by the reddish young leaves, red fruits and excellent autumn colours. The floriferousness may vary.
broad pyramidal, light, open crown, capricious growing
Bark and branches
twigs brown-red, bark grey to dark grey, rough
Leaf
oval to obovate, dark green
Autumn colour
red
Flowers
white with yellow stamens, Ø 3 - 5 cm, June
Fruits
long rostrate woody capsule
Spines/thorns
None
Toxicity
usually not toxic to people, (large) pets and livestock
Soil type
moist, not too wet, peaty
Paving
tolerates no paving
Winter hardiness zone
6b (-20,5 to -17,8 °C)
Wind resistance
fairly
Other resistances
resistant to frost (WH 1 - 6)
Fauna tree
valuable for bees (honey plant)
Shape
clearstem tree, feathered tree, multi-stem treem
Origin
China
Clear stem treefeathered treeMulti-stem treeloamy soilpeaty soilsandy soiltolerates no pavingresistant to frost (WH 1 - 6)broad conical3rd size, smaller than 6 metresopen crowngreenwhiteJuneaverage growingConspicuous bloomAttractive autumn colourvaluable for bees (honey plant)non-toxic (usually)Capricious growingOrnamental fruit
Frequently asked questions
Stewartia rostrata
Stewartia rostrata can eventually reach a height of 8 (12) m, depending on the site and climate conditions.
Stewartia rostrata is average growing and can eventually reach a height of 8 (12) m, depending on the site and climate conditions.
The leaves of Stewartia rostrata turn red in autumn.
The right time to plant Stewartia rostrata is during the dormancy period. In Western Europe, Stewartia rostrata with root balls can generally be planted from mid-November to late April, although this depends strongly on the climatic conditions and the species of tree.