Floridaseeds

Silky Camellia Stewartia malacodendron 10 Seeds USA Company

Name: Silky Camellia Stewartia malacodendron 10 Seeds USA Company
Brand: Floridaseeds
Price: 10.99 USD
Availability: InStock

$10.99 USD

~~$13.99 USD~~ $10.99 USD

Sale Sold out

Shipping calculated at checkout.

Product variants

Quantity

The Silky Camellia is a rare, stunningly beautiful native tree that inhabits the rich woodlands and forests of the southeastern United States. It is a deciduous shrub or a small tree with a broad, rounded canopy and spreading branches. It is a species of Stewartia and is thus related to the more common Asian stewartias that are widely grown as ornamental flowering trees. In the spring, it has large, white, camellia-like flowers that are produced in abundance on the branches. The flowers are among the most attractive of all native flowering trees. They have 5 spreading, white petals and the petals have wavy or crinkled margins. The outer surfaces of the petals have white, silky hairs, hence the name, silky camelia. The flowers open from globose, white, buds that have the silky hairs on the outer surfaces of the petals. The flowers are unusual in that they have stamens with filaments that are a dark rose-purple and even more unusual bluish anthers. Most stewartias and other members of the tea family have yellow or orange stamens. Leaves are elliptic and medium green. They turn yellow or purplish in the autumn. Fruits are subglobose capsules that have several dark brown seeds. Native to Virginia, South to northern Florida and west to Texas. Hardy in zones 7-9.

Growing Instructions for the Silky Camellia

The seeds need to be planted when received or stored in a refrigerator until they are planted. The seeds have a period of dormancy. They have to have a period of warm, spring and summer temperatures followed by a period of cold, winter-like temperatures to break their dormancy. They can be planted outdoors in the spring or summer to germinate the following spring or they can be stratified to break their dormancy at any time of the year. 1. Soak the seeds in water for 24 hours. 2. Warm stratify the seeds. Put the seeds in moistened peat or sand and put the mixture in a sealed ziplock bag. Store it in an area with temperatures between 68 and 85 degrees F. Store it there for 120 days. 3. Cold stratify the seeds. Put the ziplock bag with the seeds in a refrigerator and store it there for 90 days. 4. Plant the seeds. The seeds like moist, well-drained soil. Use a sterile seed starter mix or sphagnum moss, if available. It prevents soil fungi from damaging the seeds and the seedlings. If not available, then make a mixture of half potting soil and half sand, perlite or vermiculite. 5. Put the soil in a pot. 6. Sow the seeds ¼ of an inch deep. 7. Water the soil so that it is moist but not wet. 8. When the seedlings are a few inches tall, they can be transplanted.