Styrax obassia

Fragrant Snowbell is a showy small tree or large shrub famed for its extraordinarily fragrant flowers. Long racemes of bell-shaped white flowers appear in late spring or early summer after the foliage. The flowers appear in such profusion that the large leaves do not obscure the display. Green foliage turns a nice (though not particularly showy) shade of yellow in the fall. Older specimens exhibit beautiful peeling bark that lends interest to the winter landscape.

Zones: 5 to 8

Family: Styracaceae

Type: Deciduous Tree

Height: 20 to 30 ft.

Spread: 15 to 25 ft.

Exposure: Full Sun to Part Shade

Soil Conditions: Rich, moist, well-drained, acidic soil

Bloom Time: May to June

Bloom Color: White

Native Range: Japan, Korea and Manchuria

Image Credits:

• Image 1 (form) Chhe, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
• Image 2 (flowers) Dalgial, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
• Image 3 (blooms) Plant Image Library from Boston, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
• Image 4 (fruit) Plant Image Library from Boston, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
• Image 5 (form) Plant Image Library from Boston, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons