Post-rainfall flowers of Rehderodendron macrocarpum
The December 10, 2005 Botany Photo of the Day entry shows a bleached fruit of the rare Rehderodendron macrocarpum. The same tree is pictured in today’s entry, this time as it’s beginning to open its flowers.
Eric’s photograph was taken just after a rain shower, which explains the iridescent quality of the blooms. When fully open, the petals splay out to expose prominent anthers (these can be seen poking out of the rounded, barely open buds–more photos). The individual flowers are a huskier version of those of Styrax japonicus (Japanese snowbell), and like the snowbell, borne in ample clusters all along the undersides of the spreading branches. A tree in full flower is a wonderful sight and not soon forgotten. The Garden now has at least one other species in the collection, tentatively identified as Rehderodendron indochinense H. L. Li, and both species fill the air with their rich, lemony aroma when flowering.
Other than the lack of available seed, there seems little reason for the virtual exclusion of Rehderodendron from commercial horticulture. Unfortunately we have only the one tree of this species, and without cross pollination (i.e., a source of different pollen), viable seed is seldom produced. Like other plants in Styracaceae, siting in humus-rich, well-drained soil is essential for good growth and longevity. We know this species to be hardy to Zone 8.
Hope we get a picture after the bloom. i would like to see how the whole tree looks.
What a lovely photograph! The light and iridescence is just lovely. Is that a seed pod in the center of the lower third?
Meg, if you click the more photos link there are photos of the flowers and a young tree.
Yes, there is a fruit from last year in background.
Perfectly beautiful. Thank you for all the wonderful scenes you bring us.
Connie spotted it! If any progeny can be raised from such an isolate, they may be raised for use as a pollinator: not ideal from a genetic-range point of view, but better than no pollinators at all!
Sigh…. another gorgeous plant to add to an ever growing “wish list”.Thank you Eric and Douglas, not forgetting Daniel for the previous pics.
Once again -a plant that won’t grow in my zone. How sad-I love my styrax. Maybe I could grow this in a pot. Has that ever been done and overwintered successfully?
I wonder if this plant can be hybridized with Styrax japonica to produce an infertile cultivar. My front garden bed gets covered in tiny Styrax seedlings every spring.
To answer Adriana’s question about containers, it is our experience that Styrax relatives plants are poor performer in pots. There are probably numerous reasons for this, but here are a few obvious ones: In containers soils are poorly buffered with respect to temperature (hotter in summer and colder in winter) and fertility (too much or too little nutriment available), roots are artificially constrained and moisture availability is frequently variable. Styracaceous plants are notoriously intolerant of all of those conditions.
lovely picture thank you
i live in florida zone nine
guess i will see if it would grow here
I have a beautiful Rehderodendron SP China SEH098.
It is about 15 feet tall and it produced many seed pods this last year. Beautiful and fragrant in bloom. Steve Hooten brought the seed back from China. It will be in full bloom in April.
Pat
West Seattle, Washington