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Big City, Big Trees
1. Eastern Parkway Entrance Area
Japanese Stewartia (Stewartia pseudocamellia)
| Native Habitat: | Japan |
Photo: Romi Ige.
The white flowers of this tree closely resemble camellias—hence its species name pseudocamellia ("like a camellia"). Not coincidentally, Japanese stewartia and camellias are both in the tea family (Theaceae). Camellia sinensis leaves provide us with black, green, white, and oolong teas, but you can't get a hot drink from Japanese stewartia. Instead, enjoy the tree's leaves for their autumn colors, vibrant shades of crimson and purple.
Notable Neighbors:
- 1A. Monarch birch (Betula maximowicziana)
- 1B. Sawtooth oak (Quercus acutissima)
- 1C. Atlas cedar (Cedrus libani ssp. atlantica)
- 1D. Carolina silverbell (Halesia carolina)
- 1E. Japanese stewartia (Stewartia pseudocamellia)