Styrax japonicus
Japanese Snowbell
Mature Size, Growth, Longevity
Average mature size of 20-30' tall & wide, rarely to 50'. Small, compact, low-branched tree which develops a rounded to broad-rounded crown and a distinct horizontal appearance because of the wide-spreading branches, which may appear to be a giant shrub. Medium growth rate, 9-10' over a 7-9 year period. Usually lives 50-100 years.
Native Range
Native to Japan, China & Korea.
Flower and Fruit Details
Flowers are perfect, white, w/ yellow stamens, 3/4" wide, slightly fragrant, bell-shaped, occurring May-June, in pendulous clusters. Flowers are good to sustain honeybees. Fruits are olive-shaped, dry drupes, ovoid, 0.5" long, greenish-brown to grayish in color and somewhat attractive, effective in August and falling by November, containing a single hard, shiny, brown seed.
Leaf and Bark Features
Deciduous: Leaves emerge early & are 1-3.5" long and 0.5-1.5" wide, broad-elliptic, alternate, simple, acute to acuminate at the tip, lustrous & medium to dark green above, glabrous, with axillary tufts below. Margins nearly entire. Petiole 1/3" long. Yellowish or reddish fall color. Leaves hold late and are often killed by an early fall freeze while still green. Notable Bark: Young stems zigzag, light brown, bark becoming stringy. Bark on older branches and trunk is gray-brown, smooth consistency but showing irregular, orangish brown inner bark and interlacing fissures. Good ornamental winter feature.
Culture and Care
Transplant balled and burlapped into acidic, moist, organic, well-drained soil in early spring. Prune in late winter/early spring, if needed. Zones 5-8, but injured at -20 degrees F. Needs full sun to part shade. Needs partial shade in Zones 7-8. Avoid difficult sites. Usually has few or no serious insect or disease problems, but in recent years, cankers & ambrosia beetles have become serious problems.
Strengths, Weaknesses, Other Facts
4-season interest: Spring, summer, fall & winter.
Suggested Uses
A handsome flowering tree for use near the patio, in the lawn, in the shrub border, or on hillsides. Could be used as a street tree under utility wires.
Taxa and Plants of this Species at BCA
The following taxa are (or were) represented in the collections at Boone County Arboretum. Additional taxa may be available in the trade that are not included here.
Styrax japonicus 'Evening Light' // Evening Light Japanese Snowbell
Tree. A large shrub to small tree. Glossy purple leaves. A free-blooming, repeat-bloomer. Fragrant, starry white, pendant, bell-shaped flowers in abundance. Blooms sporadically from spring through late summer, mostly in May-June. Zone 5-9. Foliage emerges plum-purple, then a mixture of dark green, purple & variegated. No appreciable fall color. Needs full sun to part shade. Cold-hardy & heat-tolerant. Needs moist, organic, well-drained soil. Usually multi-stemmed. Habit: upright-spreading to upright-weeping. Gets 10-15' tall & 5-10' wide. Fruits: showy gray drupes, late summer to late fall. Smooth, brownish-green bark. Used as an accent or specimen plant, or in the shrub border, or in containers.
BT001852Styrax japonicus 'Pink Chimes' // Pink Chimes Japanese Snowbell
Tree. Pink flowers on an upright shrub or shrubby, broad-topped small tree w/ wide-spreading, horizontal branches, which tend to weep at maturity. In the Benibana group, which has soft pink flowers. Considered superior to S.j. 'Rosea'. Forms a small tree with pendulous clusters of bell-shaped, long-stalked, pink blooms that do not fade, & are slightly fragrant. Flowers have showy, yellow stamens in the middle. Blooms May-June. Fruits are grayish-brown drupes, August to October. The gray-brown bark w/ orange inner bark showing in the fissures offers winter interest. Glossy, dark green, 3" leaves don't get much fall color. Gets 15-25' tall & wide. Needs full sun to part shade. Prune late winter/early spring if needed. Zone 5-8.
-- not currently in our collection --