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Styrax japonica

Common name:	Japanese Storax	Family:	Styracaceae
Author:	Siebold.& Zucc.	Botanical references:	11, 58, 200
Synonyms:	Styrax serrulata (non Roxb.)
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	E. Asia - China, Japan, Korea.
Habitat:	Thickets and thin woods in mountains and hills all over Japan[58].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	2	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	0

Other Possible Synonyms:	From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below.
	S. bodinieri[G] S. japonicus[B,G,H,P] S. seminatus[G] S. serrulatus[G]
Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Japanese Snowbell [DEN1,P,H],
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Ebenales. Storax family

Physical Characteristics

A decidious tree growing to 8m by 6m at a slow rate. It is hardy to zone 5 and is frost tender. It is in flower in June, and the seeds ripen in October. The scented flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs). We rate it 2/5 for edibility and 0/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid and neutral soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Woodland, Canopy, Secondary.

Edible Uses

Fruit.

Fruit - raw[105, 177]. The fruit is about 14mm in diameter[200].

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

None known

Other Uses

Beads Oil Wood.

The fruits are used as beads in rosaries etc[182].
An oil is obtained from the seed[46, 61]. No further details are given.
Wood - fine-grained. Used to make umbrella handles[46, 61].

Cultivation details

Requires a light lime-free soil in sun or semi-shade[11, 200]. If planted out when young into a planting hole that has been filled with a light lime-free soil the plants will successfully grow into the surrounding soil[11]. Prefers a warm sheltered position with protection from the morning sun[11].
Dormant plants are hardy to about -15° c[200] but the young growth is liable to be damaged by late frosts[11].
A very ornamental plant[1] but it is slow to establish itself and is slow growing[200]. There are some named varieties[182]. The sub-species S. japonica fargesii is stronger growing in Britain[182].
The flowers have an exquisite scent[245].
Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[200].

Propagation

Seed - requires stratification and is best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe[11]. Stored seed requires 3 months warm then 3 months cold stratification[113]. Germination is usually good, prick out the seedlings into individual pots once they are large enough to handle. Overwinter in a greenhouse for the first winter and plant out in late spring.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame[113].
Layering in autumn.

Scent

Flowers: Fresh: The flowers have an exquisite scent[245].

Cultivars

'': There are some named forms for this species, but these have been developed for their ornamental value and not for their other uses. Unless you particularly require the special characteristics of any of these cultivars, we would generally recommend that you grow the natural species for its useful properties. We have, therefore, not listed the cultivars in this database[K].

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

References for Styrax japonicus (a possible synonym).

[H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
[B] Data (Latin & Common names, other references) from the BONAP's Synonymized Checklist of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[P] Data. (uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.
[DEN] Data _ Photos (Good Identification info) from the Virginia Tech's Dendrology Deptarments' Tree Fact Sheets.

References for Styrax serrulatus (a possible synonym).

[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.

References for styrax japonica (a possible synonym).

[HP] PhotoFrom Henriette's plant pictures
[HP] PhotoFrom Henriette's plant pictures

References for the family Styracaceae.

[CHINA] Data Very detailed botanical/identification info. from the Flora of China.

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.

[46] Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.

[58] Ohwi. G. Flora of Japan. (English translation) Smithsonian Institution 1965
The standard work. Brilliant, but not for the casual reader.

[61] Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974 ISBN 0094579202
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.

[105] Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976
The most comprehensive guide to edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.

[113] Dirr. M. A. and Heuser. M. W. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. Athens Ga. Varsity Press 1987 ISBN 0942375009
A very detailed book on propagating trees. Not for the casual reader.

[177] Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984 ISBN 3874292169
An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of latin names with a brief list of edible parts.

[182] Thomas. G. S. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray 1992 ISBN 0-7195-5043-2
Contains a wide range of plants with a brief description, mainly of their ornamental value but also usually of cultivation details and varieties.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[245] Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8
An excellent, comprehensive book on scented plants giving a few other plant uses and brief cultivation details. There are no illustrations.

Readers Comments

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Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
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