Gems of Summer: Stewartia
Posted in Around the Garden on June 11 2014, by Jaime Morin
Jaime Morin is The New York Botanical Garden’s Assistant Curator in horticulture. She works with the plant records and curation teams to help keep the garden’s information on its living collections up to date. She also oversees the details of the garden’s Living Collections Phenology Project.
Ever since my journey into the world of plant obsession began, one my favorite times of the year has always been what I affectionately call “Stewartia season.” This delightful stretch always reminds me of summers spent immersed in unique plant collections, but always being drawn back to this one fascinating group of plants.
The genus Stewartia contains a handful of large shrub and tree species native to eastern Asia and two indigenous to the southeastern United States. Stewartia species all have beautiful white flowers with an obvious tuft of anthers in their center. Their floral show takes place in early to mid-summer, but many species also put on a fantastic display of orange to crimson fall foliage, extending the plants’ season of interest.