Stewartia 'Scarlet Sentinel'

This hybrid between S. ovata Grandiflora Group and S. pseudocamellia was a chance seedling at the Arnold Arboretum, potted up for sale in 1982 in the belief that it was S. pseudocamellia. Shortly before the annual plant sale it was selected from the batch as a vigorous plant and taken home by then curator Peter Del Tredici. His amusing account in Arnoldia (Del Tredici 2003) relates that while still young his car rolled over it, but that it bounced back and has thrived ever since. When young it was a narrow column, but spread more widely following snow damage. On first flowering in 1992, it was found to have red filaments and its hybrid nature was elucidated. It is intermediate in character between the parents (Del Tredici 2003), including in the bark, which peels in thin narrow strips. The red filaments are striking and make the large flowers very beautiful. It has been propagated on both sides of the Atlantic and is occasionally found in specialist collections.