Habitat

• hardy through zone 5
• native to North Carolina through Florida

Habit and Form

• a deciduous tree or large shrub
• 10' to 15' tall
• equal spread
• dense, spreading branches
• medium texture
• slow growth rate

Summer Foliage

• alternate leaf arrangement
• simple, deciduous leaves
• ovate leaf shape
• 2" to 5" long
• 1" to 2.5" wide
• serrulate leaf margins
• somewhat pubescent
• dark green leaf color
• thick texture

Autumn Foliage

• orange to red fall color

Flowers

• white flowers
• concave petals with crenulated surface
• 2.5" to 3" across
• blooms in July

Fruit

• woody capsule
• sharply pointed
• 1" long
• seeds are winged

Bark

• gray-brown bark
• ridged and furrowed
• stems are red on top and green on underside
• zigzag stem pattern

Culture

• difficult to transplant
• prefers moist, acidic, organic soil
• partial sun

Landscape Use

• specimen
• woods edge
• border
• shaded site

Liabilities

• hard to transplant
• somewhat slow growing
• relatively uncommon and expensive to purchase
• not tolerant of difficult sites

ID Features

• superposed, sessile buds, 2 to 3 exposed scales
• brown buds are covered with silky hairs
• stems are red on top and green on bottom
• stems with a zigzag pattern

Propagation

• by cuttings
• by seed

Cultivars/Varieties

var. grandiflora (also listed as 'Grandiflora') - This is probably the most commonly available form of this native species in commerce. It is notable for its larger flowers and purple stamens.

'Red Rose' - This is a Polly Hill selection out of Martha's Vineyard, MA with red stamens and yellow anthers in the flowers.

'Royal Purple' - Another Polly Hill variation, this plant shows flowers with purple stamens and yellow anthers.

'Scarlet Sentinel' - A hybrid with S. pseudocamellia, this selection from Boston's Arnold Arboretum has an upright, dense habit and white blooms crowned with red-pink stamens. It is sometimes offered by specialty nurseries.

'White Satin' -This Polly Hill clone offers a floral variation with white stamens and yellow anthers.