Japanese Stewartia (Stewartia pseudocamellia) – 10 Seeds Elegant Beauty for Every Season Bring year-round elegance to your garden with the Japanese Stewartia, a small to medium-sized deciduous tree renowned for its stunning flowers, colorful bark, and spectacular fall foliage. Native to Japan and a member of the tea family (Theaceae), this tree offers ornamental value in every season, making it a prized specimen for collectors and landscape enthusiasts. ? Key Features: Size Form: Grows 20 to 40 feet tall with a pyramidal to oval shape; multi-stemmed and low branching. Bark: Striking exfoliating bark in shades of gray, orange, and reddish-brown appears once the trunk reaches 2–3 inches in diameter. Foliage: New leaves emerge bronzy-purple in spring, mature to deep green in summer, and transform into vivid reddish-orange and burgundy in fall. Flowers: In June to July, 2.5" wide, white, cup-shaped flowers resembling camellias bloom in random succession, featuring showy orange-yellow anthers. Fruit: Small, pointed brown seed capsules appear after flowering; not particularly ornamental but persistent. ? Plant Details: Zones: 5–8 Height: 12 to 40 feet Spread: 8 to 25 feet Growth Rate: Slow Light Requirements: Full sun to part shade Water Needs: Medium Soil Preference: Moist, organically rich, well-drained soil Drought Tolerance: Low Maintenance: Low Fall Color: Yellow, red, and purple Uses: Ideal for lawn specimens, borders, woodland gardens, or bonsai ? Sowing Instructions for Stewartia pseudocamellia Seeds: Scarify: Soak seeds in water for 24 hours. Stratify: Warm stratification: 120 days Cold stratification: 90 days at 40F in a moist (not wet) medium Sow: Plant seeds 1/4 inch deep and keep the soil moist but not soggy.