Japanese snowbell

Japanese snowbell: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Small tree or large shrub with horizontal, layered branches and a broad crown, 5–7 m tall and 5–6 m wide.

Leaves

Oval, 4–8 cm, glossy dark green and slightly toothed; yellow in autumn, sometimes reddish.

Flowers

White and bell-shaped, with five lobes and a cluster of yellow stamens, 1.5–2 cm, on long stalks in small groups beneath the branches, in May–June; lightly fragrant.

Fruit

Grey-green, egg-shaped fruits of 1–1.5 cm that hang on the tree from late summer into autumn; not edible.

Bark

Smooth and greyish brown; in winter the bare branches show off the layered shape.

Flowering: May–June · Plants: March–April and October–December · Pruning: July

Why grow it?

• A profusion of white, hanging bells in May–June, best seen from underneath the tree.
• A small tree with a graceful, layered shape, ideal as a focal point in a small garden.
• The flowers are lightly fragrant and a feast for bees.
• Attractive outside flowering too: glossy leaves, decorative little fruits and yellow autumn colour.
• Fully hardy.

Japanese snowbell: where does it grow best?

• Sun to partial shade; in full sun the soil must stay moist.
• Humus-rich, moisture-retentive but well-drained soil: sand or loam, acid to neutral. It does poorly on chalky or heavy, wet soil.
• Sheltered from cold, drying winds; late spring frosts can damage the young shoots.
• Plant it where you can look up under the branches: by a patio, along a path or on a bank.
• Allow 5–6 m of space; it looks best on its own.

Light

Sun and partial shade

Soil type

Sand or loam

Acidity

Acid or neutral

Moisture

Normal

Size

7 m tall, 6 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -25 °C)

Goes well with

• Rhododendron: Likes the same acid, humus-rich soil and flowers just before or together with the snowbell.
• Japanese maple: Fine leaves and autumn colour, for the same sheltered spot and lime-free soil.
• Hosta: Large leaves in the partial shade beneath the crown.
• Ferns: A fresh green underplanting in the light shade.

Japanese snowbell: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March–April and October–December.

1. Plant from October to December or in March–April, when the soil is neither frozen nor waterlogged.
2. Dig a hole twice as wide as the root ball and mix in plenty of leaf mould or lime-free compost.
3. Set the tree at the same depth as it was in the pot and firm the soil well.
4. Drive in a stake on the windward side and tie the trunk loosely.
5. Water generously straight away, even if it is raining.
6. Mulch around the base with leaf mould or bark, but not against the trunk.

Care

Watering

For the first few years, water generously every week in dry spells; later too in dry summers, as it dislikes drying out.

Feeding

In spring, leaf mould or an organic fertiliser for acid-loving plants.

Mulching

Every spring a layer of leaf mould or bark: it keeps the soil cool, moist and slightly acid.

Lime

Do not spread lime or use chalky compost nearby: the leaves would turn yellow.

Stake

Check the tree tie every year and remove the stake after 2–3 years.

Tip: Mulch every spring with leaf mould or bark: it keeps the soil cool, moist and slightly acid, just what it needs to flower freely.

Japanese snowbell: when to prune it?

Pruning months: July.

When: It needs little pruning. Do any necessary work after flowering, in July.

How:

• Remove dead, diseased and crossing branches.
• On a young tree, gradually remove a few low branches if you want a clear trunk, but keep the natural layered shape.
• Cut out water shoots and suckers at the base.
• Never prune hard: the graceful shape is slow to recover.

Caution: Prune as little as possible and not in winter or spring: every branch you remove then costs flowers.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Softwood cuttings

In June–July, take 10 cm cuttings from young shoots, remove the lower leaves and insert them in moist cutting compost under plastic, in a warm, light spot. Success is not guaranteed.

Seed

In autumn, take fresh seed from the fruits and sow it in a pot left outdoors. It is slow to germinate, often not until the second spring.

Japanese snowbell: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −25 °C.

• Fully hardy, to about −25 °C: no protection needed in Belgian winters.
• Late frosts in April–May can damage young shoots and flower buds; a sheltered spot helps, and you can cover a young tree with fleece when frost is forecast.
• In winter the bare, horizontal branches show off the tree’s fine shape.

Diseases and pests

• Yellow leaves: Yellowing with green veins on chalky soil. Mulch with leaf mould or bark, water with rainwater and use a feed for acid-loving plants if needed.
• Drought damage: Brown leaf edges and limp leaves in dry summers. Water generously and mulch.
• Frost damage: Brown, wilted young shoots after a late frost. Cut them back once the frost has passed; the tree usually reshoots.
• Few flowers: Young trees take a few years to flower; too much shade or hard pruning also costs flowers.

Through the year

• March: Plant. Mulch with leaf mould.
• April: Plant. Protect a young tree from late frost.
• May: Flowering begins. Bees on the flowers.
• June: Full flower: look up under the branches. Take softwood cuttings.
• July: Prune lightly after flowering. Water in dry spells.
• August: Water in dry spells. The little fruits hang from the branches.
• October: Plant. Yellow autumn colour. Collect seed and sow outdoors.
• November: Plant. Mulch.
• December: Plant in mild weather. Dormant.

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Did you know?

• Related Styrax species from South-East Asia yield benzoin, a resin that has been used in incense for centuries.
• The little fruits contain saponins, soapy substances; in Japan they were once used for washing.
• The flowers hang down on long stalks, so they are best seen from below; hence the English name snowbell.