American Snowbell

Description

Botanical Name:  Styrax americanus

Common Name:  American Snowbell, American Silverbells, Big-Leaf Snowbell, Storax

Description:   American Snowbell is a beautiful, deciduous, small tree/large shrub that’s native to Florida.

This is an understory tree, so plant in part sun or part shade in rich, acidic, well drained sandy loam soil. Its native habitat is in swamps, marshy areas, stream banks, and other wet locations. Would grow great in a rain garden. It does adapt to typical gardening moisture situation, but don’t plant it in an area that’s very dry. Not considered drought tolerant, so it’ll need supplemental water during extended dry and hot times. It has a moderate growth rate to its mature height and width of 6 to 15 feet with a wide, open crown and dense, uniform branches that originate from the base and up the main trunk. In the spring/early summer, blooms of white flowers exude an aura of sweet fragrance. The bell-shaped flowers bloom either single or in clusters of 1-4. This is a prolific bloomer that looks like a cloud of white when in full bloom. The flowers have 5 reflexed petals with yellow stamens. The bright-green 1-3″ leaves turn shades of brown/copper/gold/yellow in the fall before dropping. After flowering has completed, hairy fruits emerge. This plant does not sucker from the roots.

Apparently it grows best when not closely crowded by other plants, especially right at its root zone area.

This is a host plant to Promethea Silkmoth (Callosamia Promethea). The flowers attract lots of pollinators including bees, butterflies, moths, and hummingbirds. Birds and other critters eat the fruit. Is deer resistant.

Be aware that there are non-native Styrax species out there. All the native pollinators and birds will thank you for planting the native Styrax that feeds them.

Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray.

This plant in 3-gallon containers is 1.5 – 3 feet tall.

This plant in 7-gallon containers is 3 – 6 feet tall.

Plant Lore:  Genus name comes from the classical Greek name derived from a Semitic name for these resin producing plants. Specific epithet is in reference to the U.S. habitat for American snowbell.

Florida Hardiness Zones 8 – 9