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Japanese Snowbell

Small, deciduous tree that slowly grows to form a rounded canopy. Bark has orange-brown interlacing fissures that add winter interest. Can be trained to a single trunk or grown as a multiple trunk specimen. Origin: China, Japan, Taiwan, Philippines.

Scientific Name:

Styrax japonicus
(Stytrax obassia has much larger leaves and is native to the eastern U.S.)

Mature Height:

20 - 30'

Mature Spread:

15 - 25'

Leaves:

2 - 4", oval to oblong.

Flowers:

Showy, white bell shaped flowers, blooming late April, in droopy flower clusters. May attract bees.

Fruit:

Oval, 0.5" fleshy; green. Seedlings may emerge under canopy.

Root System:

No surface roots.

Growth Rate:

Slow - in heavy soils.

Cultural Notes:

Prefers acid, well-drained soils. Full sun or part shade.

Sacramento Specimen:

Arboretum Terrace Garden - next to Borders in Davis.

Sutter Memorial Hospital, 5151 F Street (in large pot)

Minimum Planting Distances

• from SMUD pad mounted equipment (such as a transformer mounted on a concrete pad): 8 feet
• from a building foundation: 6 feet
• from walks and driveways: 5 feet
• from an air conditioner: 3 feet
• from a fence: 3 feet
• from a utility offset (such as an underground line, pipe or cable): 3 feet
• from a utility overhead (such as an overhead power line): 0 feet
• from a swimming pool: 6 feet
• from a septic system: 15 feet
• between trees*: 12 feet

* To calculate the planting distance between different size trees, add the distances between each species in the column and divide answer in half. Example: the distance between a Red Maple (large tree) and Amur Maple (small tree) is calculated: 25 feet + 15 feet = 40 feet ÷ 2 = 20 feet. The distance between these two different size trees should be 20 feet.