Recommended for your garden in the south of Spain: Schima wallichii

It is a member of the tea family, Theaceae, and is a close relative of the Camellia

Denise Bush

Malaga

Friday, 20 December 2024, 18:05

The genus Schima is native to tropical and temperate regions of Asia where it grows in woodlands and on river banks. It is a member of the tea family, Theaceae, and is a close relative of the Camellia. It is a popular garden tree, growing up to around 15 metres in height and providing a thick canopy of shade during the summer.

The genus is said to have around 12 to 15 species but there is a lot of confusion and identifying individual species is extremely difficult due to a decision in the 50s to group all of them under Schima wallichii.

Therefore the genus has many variations in leaf and flower form, although they all have a heavily scented, 'fried-egg' shaped bloom with five creamy white petals and a thick brush of yellow stamens. Each flower can be up to 5cm across and appears from leaf axils near the ends of the stems from late summer through winter and sometimes into spring, at times when not much else is blooming. The fat flower buds can be all cream or tinged with dark pink at the tip.

At the same time as the flowers, new leaves appear, often tinted a reddish brown. The leaves are glossy green and evergreen, sometimes with a smooth edge, others with serrated borders. Some have attractive silvery undersides.

It is valued for its wood in Asia and the leaves and roots are used to treat fevers. The bark, which can cause skin sensitivity, is used to kill intestinal worms and also as a fish poison.

Surprisingly hardy, it will survive some frost when mature but is not drought resistant. It is also said to resist forest fires. It can be grown from fresh seed but may take four to five years to flower. Plants raised from cuttings (best time to take these is during late summer and autumn) usually flower much sooner.

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