Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS

Nomenclature

Common Name:

American snowbell

Synonym(s):

Genus species:

Styrax americanus

Family:

Styracaceae

Plant Specifics

Form:

tree

Size:

6-10 (12) ft tall by 6-10 ft wide

Life Span:

Long-lived perennial

Flower Color:

white

Fruit Color:

Phenology:

Deciduous. Blooms in spring. Life span likely >50 yrs (Nelson 2003).

Noted For:

Showy Flowers, Aroma/Showy Fruitsagrance

Landscaping

Recommended Uses:

Understory tree. Specimen plant in moist areas.

Considerations:

Availability:

Native Nurseries

Propagation:

Seed (stratified), layering, softwood cuttings.

Light:

Part Sun, Shade

Moisture Tolerance:

Always Flooded------------------------------------------------Extremely Dry

Coming Soon!

Stays wet ---to--- Not wet but not extremely dry

Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:

Unknown

Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:

Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray

Soil or Other Substrate:

Sand, Loam

Soil pH:

Acidic

Suitable to Grow In:

8A,8B,9A,9B,10A,10B

Ecology

Wildlife:

Pollinators, Butterflies, Birds, Mammals

Attracts pollinators.





Attracts butterflies.





Host plant for promethea moth ( Callosamia promethea ).

Birds and other animals eat the fruit. 

Native Habitats:

Understory of floodplain and wet forests, swamps, shoreline thickets, cypress-gum depressions. Most frequently where annually inundated or where water stands at or above the soil surface for extended periods.

Natural Range in Florida:

Comments:

Ethnobotany:

General Comments:

Prolific bloomer: very showy. Fragrant.