A Virginia Silky Camellia

The silky camellia's dark green leaves set off its magnificent 3-inch diameter, showy, five-petaled white flowers bearing purple filaments with blue anthers. The petals are silky and pubescent as is the lower leaf surface. Silky camellia requires loam or peat soil. The flowers appear from early to mid summer in the coastal southern states. The fruit is a .5 inch woody egg shaped capsule and contains brown seeds. Although very difficult to transplant or grow using the seed, records show that attempts to cultivate Virginia stewartia have been attempted with only a little success since 1752.

Stewartia malacodendron, NC State University Tree Fact Sheet