Stewartia Monadelpha

[Brian Van Fleet]

I have always wanted a Stewartia, and in December 2018, I had the opportunity to dig one from a grower’s field in Georgia:

Bare-rooted and washed off the Georgia red clay when I got it home:

Potted:

By late May, 2019, it was pretty strong, and clearly hadn’t skipped a beat from being dug and moved.

So I did a little structure-pruning in July, so some of the wounds would start to heal. I considered this as the front, so I could use the first branch on the left.

Leafless in late-November:

Decided to change the front to show more trunk movement.

And here it is after pruning and wiring in February. Not bad for 15 months from “collection”:

I may repot it to at least set the planting angle this spring.

 

[jimib]

Love these trees. The bark is fantastic on those. Great pot too

 

[bwaynef]

Dave L's field?

 

[jonathanvperth]

Ooo that’s a great little tree

 

[Wilson]

Nice material Brian. I have one that I have to reduce down from a big nursery container, and judging by yours they can handle some good root work.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Dave L's field?

Yep

 

[barrosinc]

I like these trees! Nice progress

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Repotted today to orient the front. Also worked it into a slightly shallower pot, which may be too shallow, but it’s covered with sphagnum moss and should help the base spread over time.

 

[just.wing.it]

Looking beautiful.....love the pot!

 

[BobbyLane]

they make stunning bonsai, this is going to be a good one!

 

[Hartinez]

Beautiful. A Stewartia is is on my short list. You may not know this, but how many years was it in the ground?

 

[Mike Hennigan]

Love that pot choice, goes well with the bark color.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Beautiful. A Stewartia is is on my short list. You may not know this, but how many years was it in the ground?

Thanks, don’t remember the age. 10-15 years maybe?

 

[Hartinez]

Thanks, don’t remember the age. 10-15 years maybe?

Cool just curious. I’ve always loved stewartia, especially when the bark begins to flake. Is monodelpha one that will do so? Has yours started flaking at all? My dad and I are currently cold stratifying a bag of seeds to ground grow.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Has yours started flaking at all?

It sure has.

 

[bwaynef]

Thanks, don’t remember the age. 10-15 years maybe?

If its the same batch I'm thinking, I don't think they were in the ground nearly that long.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Growing well...

 

[barrosinc]

Thanks, don’t remember the age. 10-15 years maybe?

Wow those grow slowly!

 

[Mikecheck123]

Always wanted one, but I've literally never seen any local nursery have them. But you had to send me googling, huh...

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Wow those grow slowly!

They seem to grow branches and foliage quickly, but are slow to trunk up. This one was around 7‘ tall when I dug it.