Huodendron or Evergreen Styrax. This is a rather rare and unusual species in the Styrax family, Styracaceae, which can make a medium size evergreen tree from 15-30'. It has a terminal inflorescence of 8-12 star-like flowers. It's pedicel is a slender, 3--5 mm resembling that of a Styrax. Its new growth emerges deep bronze and hardens off to a shiny dark green. But its greatest asset is its incredible trunks with smooth deep cinnamon colored bark with exfoliating patches similar to a Crepe Myrtle or maybe in closer to a Stewartia. I would suggest growing in filtered sun or morning sun and afternoon shade. The picture of the plant in flower is courtesy of Ozzie Johnson, a great plantsman, in Marietta, GA. Ozzie said that this is his first flowering of this species.
Zones 7b-10
