Japanese Snowbell

My Styrax japonicus is showy this fall while the Cotinus 'golden Spirit' is a bit of a dud. Usually it's the other way around. Here is the Snowbell today from my window.

That's a pretty little tree.

ditto

And I'll bet your snowbell looks nicer in flower, too!

Is it a four season tree? I suppose every tree is a four season tree, but...oh, you know what I mean.

Well in winter it is a pretty ordinary leafless tree.
Spring- Lovely dangly little flowers, I placed mine in the raised bed so when I walk to the garbage bins, I look up at them. I think they are great.
Summer- very pretty round-spready kind of tree with a nice shape and pretty leaves. Nuts developing dangle too and give some interest.
Fall- pretty yellowish leaves, not spectacular but see photo above.
I consider it a top tier yard tree here. Also it seems to have sailed though our drought this year, I hardly watered it.
I think three seasons is about the best I can do. Do you have any trees that truly are special for all four seasons?

I can get 4 seasons ... with Acer griseum, because the bark is so beautiful and it is visible all year, even when the tree is in leaf.

Momlady the bark on your Acer griseum is spectacular, even in full leaf.

Thanks! I'm hunting for a close-up pic but can't find one!

Keep looking!

please...

Geez, Momlady, I was just about to lay out a persuasive argument why A. Griseum doesn't shine in summer and then you show that specimen. Never mind.

I think of snowbell primarily for it's spring flowers, though it has a nice full form, so I guess I'll give it two seasons. Fall color is always a dud for me. And nothing going on in winter.
But it sure puts on a show in spring.
First picture shows mine all budded up ready to pop. Amazingly dense buds.

As for bark, I also love A griseum but I lust after Pseudo's A triflorum. I've seen some mature specimens at MoBot and the bark is fabulous. Nice trees for bark texture in my yard are my Tanyosho pine (P densiflora umbraculifera), Pseudocydonia sinensis, Stewartia pseudocamellia (couldn't find a decent picture - take my word for it, it's very pretty bark) and crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia faurei).

Edited to fix the name of my Tanyosho - forgot the 'densiflora' part...

This message was edited Nov 14, 2015 11:34 AM

And another couple trees w/ nice bark I forgot about, persimmon trees and Kentucky coffee tree.
I guess Pistil's thread got a little hijacked ... sorry to veer a little off course.

Wee your Snowbell is laden with blooms, you forgot about the fragrance, ooh the fragrance.

I never knew there was such a thing as bark lust, lol...I'm smitten.

Hijack away, I'm following this closely, as it rains on and on and on...

Wow, stunning bark! Thanks for sharing! Pseudo and Mipii, I'm still looking for a close-up of the Acer griseum, alas, I have zillions of pictures and now there are so many that I often can't find what I want. I need a new cataloging system.

OK, now for another hijack...
Compare Weerobins's persimmon tree with the Dioscorea elephantipes...wouldn't it be fun to have these in a landscape together (forget climate needs and the amount of $$ one would need to buy the Dioscorea).

That was a find, isn't that coool! I even like the succulent behind the Dioscorea elephantipes.

Me too!

Here's that Acer griseum...

Our standard fall colors.

Working to add some pizzazz...

Well rats, I forgot to put that last Acer griseum pic where it belongs. No many leaves are left on the tree, but they were pretty.

Very nice, thanks! I sure like your pommes. What a difference adding some pizzaz makes, I love it. Now if only I can identify more than the Cotinus coggygria and Acer japonicum...hmm...

Nice, MomLady. What's that middle one with the nicely patchy bark?

I can recognize that one - despite the abundance of moss/lichens/whatever enjoying the excess moisture and obscuring the puzzle-piece bark. Note the buds...

Anyway, more barking going on over here (in case any hounds want to join):

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1408987/

I was of course thrown off trying to figure out the obvious confirerosity!!