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Stewartia pseudocamellia

Deciduous Camellia · Japanese Stewartia · Korean Stewartia

Family TheaceaeGenus Stewartia

A white flower with five crimped petals around a dense boss of orange-yellow stamens, among broad ribbed leaves, with a round green bud beside it.
FlowerKrzysztof Ziarnek, KenraizCC BY-SA 4.0

About the plant

What it is and where it grows — not part of any germination protocol.

The plant

Habit
TreeExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Habit
treePlants of the World Online
Height
12-40 ft4-12 mExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Spread
8-25 ft2.4-7.6 mExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Flower
Gold/Yellow, WhiteExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Blooms
SummerExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Native range
Japan, KoreaGBIF Backbone Taxonomy
Hardiness zones
5-8Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox

Growing conditions

Sun
Full sun; Partial ShadeExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Soil
High Organic Matter, Loam (Silt), SandExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0), Neutral (6.0-8.0)Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Moisture
Good Drainage, MoistExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox

Toxicity is noted only where a source states it. No note here is not a finding of safety.

Sources: Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox — NC State Extension; Plants of the World Online — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; GBIF Backbone Taxonomy — Global Biodiversity Information Facility.

Worth knowing

  • In Japanese it is natsutsubaki, summer camellia; in Korean nogaknamu, overripe cucumber tree. Its smooth bark flakes away with age into a mottled, camouflage pattern. Wikipedia: Stewartia pseudocamellia

This source reports two treatments. Both are shown.

Protocol 1

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1993

Difficulty Moderate Rated by us, not by the source.

Sow around October 2027 — a date the source gives, not one counted back from a May 3 last frost. Too late for spring 2027 — that needed starting on October 2026.

  1. Sow outdoors and leave it

    Sown outdoors in October; up in March.

No stated waiting before sowing. Germination time not stated; 21 days assumed.

60% germination.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, Stewartia p. 217Public domain
Show the original text
Stewartia (Theaceae). Germination occurs only under, the oscillating temperatures of outdoor conditions. S. pseudocamellia sown outdoors in October 1990 germ. 6/10 in March 1992 over a year later. The seedlings develop cotyledons and grew strongly.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Stewartia p. 217. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

Protocol 2

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1993

Difficulty Very high Rated by us, not by the source.

Sow around January 2027 — a date the source gives, not one counted back from a May 3 last frost.

  1. Sow outdoors and leave it

    Sown outdoors in January; up in April.

No stated waiting before sowing. Germination time not stated; 21 days assumed.

8% germination.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, Stewartia p. 217Public domain
Show the original text
Stewartia (Theaceae). Germination occurs only under, the oscillating temperatures of outdoor conditions. S. koreana sown outdoors in January germ. 1/12 in April and 1/12 in March over a year later.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Stewartia p. 217. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

How each step is done, in Deno’s words, and what Verified and Derived mean.

Germination trials

Readers’ own records of sowing this species, published after review. Share your trial · All trials

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