Japanese Storax (Styrax japonica)
At a glance
- Lifecycle
- Perennial (hardy)
- Exposure
- Full sun
- Frost limit
- −28.9 °C
Cultivation
Requires a light lime-free soil in sun or semi-shade. Dormant plants are hardy to about -15°c. A very ornamental plant. The flowers have an exquisite scent. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus.
Propagation
Seed - requires stratification and is best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe. 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. Layering in autumn.
Edible uses
Fruit - raw.
Material uses
The fruits are used as beads in rosaries etc. An oil is obtained from the seed. No further details are given. Wood - fine-grained. Used to make umbrella handles.
Habitat
Thickets and thin woods in mountains and hills all over Japan.
Native range
E. Asia - China, Japan, Korea.