There are two species of
Stewartia in North
America, mountain camellia, S.
ovata, and silky camellia, S.
malacodendron.The mountain camellia was first collected by William Bartram, but it was collected and named before his discovery was either published or recognized. They are rarely found
in the nursery trade due to being notoriously difficult to propagate.I suspect the seeds require a narrow range of
specific conditions that exist in the locations of the scattered populations,
but for the most part have eluded enthusiast trying to grow them.Mountain camellia is found at several places in
northeast Alabama, including DeSotoState Park,
Little River Canyon, Pisgah Gorge, CoonGulf, Buck’s PocketState Park, and GuntersvilleState Park, while I have heard there
are lots of silky camellias along the Locust Fork of the Black
Warrior River.They are
either not considered trees or no specimens meeting the minimum requirements
have been nominated for state champion in Alabama.Unfortunately the best candidate everyone I know had ever seen was
reduced to at best a stump with suckers during maintenance work at Buck’s PocketState
Park; meanwhile they seem to be spending more
time protecting invasive exotic species rather than the relatively rare native
species.The first time I ever saw a
mountain camellia it was shortly after first seeing an American smoketree, Cotinus obovatus Raf., for the first
time.This was on a hike the summer
after I took dendrology, and these were the first two plants I was able to
identify on my own after seeing them for the first time.As a result I can identify mountain camellia
with a minimum of keys and have seen a generally more knowledgeable botanist stumped
when seeing it without having either flower or fruit as identification keys.
