Stewartia malacodendron

Silky stewartia is in the tea or Theaceae family and is native to southeastern United States. It is a deciduous tree, often multi-stemmed with a rounded crown, growing up to 6 m tall.

• Leaves are alternate, simple, 5–10 cm long and 4–6 cm broad, elliptic to oblong-elliptic, pubescent below, 7–8 pairs of veins, margins, finely serrated, sharp-pointed, base wedge-shaped, petiole 2–4 mm long; leaves turn a reddish colour in the fall.
• Buds are covered by 2 floral bracts with silvery hairs.
• Flowers are solitary, showy, 6–9 cm across, stamens with purple filaments and blue anthers, corollas cup-shaped; flowers are on short stocks with 2 floral bracts that remain after flowering; blooming is in July and August in northern part of range, April in south.
• Fruit is a rounded, woody seed capsule 1.2–1.8 cm across, sometimes with a conic apex, with 4–5 chambers, with 2-4 seeds in each chamber.
• Bark is smooth but flaking in longitudinal strips to look mottled, branches ascending smooth, twigs reddish brown and pubescent when young, becoming greyish and glabrous.