Endemic to the East of North Island, now widely planted. Branches spreading sometimes pendulous. Branchlets clad in a golden yellow or grey tomentum. Leaves 100-150mm with 10-20 pairs of grey-green leaflets well spaced, never crowded or overlapping, densely clad in silky straight appressed hairs. Up to 10 flowers in a bunch Sept.-Dec., nectar attracting tuis , bellbirds and bees. The wood is very hard and durable.

The Japanese Stewartia is a tree found in most Arboretums around the world due to it's ornamental peeling bark and camelia-like flowers. Added to this is the stunning red-orange autumn colours. As a forest dweller it's not a tree for an exposed position.

Japan. Broadly columnar, deciduous. Large fairly round leaves, fragrant white flowers in 20cm long racemes. Similar fruits to S. japonica though fewer produced. Enjoys a damp site.

Wide spreading, evergreen. Very shade tolerant and casts very heavy shade. Foliage poisonous to horses. Clips well as a formal hedge. Enjoys alkaline soils but not heavy clays.