| General Description | Stewartia sinensis is a small tree or large shrub with spectacular bark and fragrant white cup-shaped flowers. |
| ID Characteristic | Large, multi-stemmed shrub or small tree with peeling bark. |
| Shape | Upright with a broad crown. |
| Landscape | Plant as a specimen in the landscape where it can viewed all year. |
| Propagation | Softwood cuttings taken after the terminal bud appears in the spring. Cut 5 - 8 cm off the new, soft growth, cutting directly across where old wood meets new. Remove the lower third of leaves and dip stem into a fungicide solution, followed by a rooting hormone and place in growing media. |
| Cultivation | Grows best in full sun, appreciating some shade on hot summer days. Soil should be moist, well-drained, acidic and high in organic matter. |
| Pests | Generally pest and disease free. |
| Notable Specimens | Wakehurst Place, Ardingly, West Sussex, England.
Aberglasney Gardens, Carmarthenshire, Wales, United Kingdom. |
| Bark/Stem Description | Cinnamon-purple bark peels and flakes to reveal smooth, marble-like, tan and brown patches beneath. |
| Flower/Leaf Bud Description | 0.5-1 cm imbricate brown buds, pubescent, typically 2-3 scales showing. |
| Leaf Description | Medium to dark green, 5-12 ⨉ 4-6 cm. The blade is simple, ovate to elliptical, sharply pointed (acuminate), with minutely serrated margins and a prominent central vein. The base is cuneate leading into the reddish-purple petiole which is pubescent and 1.5 cm in length. |
| Flower Description | 4-5 cm in diameter with five white, cup-shaped, fringed petals with imbricate sepals and numerous cream-coloured stamens topped with yellow-orange anthers and often fragrant. |
| Fruit Description | 1-2.5 cm, reddish-brown, dehiscent capsules are pointed and divided into five sections, each of which contains seeds. |
| Colour Description | White inflorescence, medium to dark green leaves with the potential to turn yellow or red in autumn. |
| Texture Description | A fine to medium textured plant. |
