Stewartia is a tree, a long-term addition to the landscape. It's hardy across USDA zones 5 through 8 and shrugs off deer. Its spring flowers are a moderate draw for honeybees and native bees.
Stewartia — the short answer
Stewartia: grown in zones 5–8, part sun, pH 5–7.
- USDA zones
- 5–8
- Hardy to zone 5 — NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox.
- Soil pH
- 5–7
- We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
- Sun
- Part Sun
- We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS and university Extension sources — each tile names its own row's source, because per-field provenance varies.
Score Stewartia on your exact land.
Zone averages can't see the slope, soil, frost, and sun that decide whether stewartia actually takes — and those shift from one yard to the next. Enter your address and we'll score stewartia against your land's real conditions.
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See Stewartia
What Stewartia is
Stewartia grows as a perennial and reaches around 30 feet at maturity. It blooms white in spring. It's also deer-resistant.
Mature height, bloom period, flower colour and deer resistance: We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
How to grow Stewartia
Stewartia grows in USDA zones 5 through 8. Stewartia does best in part sun — at least 4 hours of direct sun a day — and soil from pH 5 to 7, on well-drained ground.
USDA Zones
5-8
Rated hardy to zone 5 by NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, checked Oct 2026. Ceiling: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox (read 2026-10-06).
Soil pH
5 - 7
We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Sun
Part Sun
We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Drainage
well (dry spells)
We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Mature Height
30 ft
We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Plant it right
Set stewartia in part sun with well-drained soil. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Match the soil
Stewartia prefers pH 5 to 7. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet. A quick soil test from your local Extension lab tells you whether to add lime or sulfur to land in band.
Water steadily
Keep the root zone evenly moist through establishment. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet. A 2–3 inch mulch layer holds moisture without waterlogging.
Shape it while it is young
Prune stewartia only to remove dead, damaged or crossing branches while it is young; it is grown for its form, not a harvest, so little more is needed once it settles in.
Where Stewartia thrives
Stewartia is hardy across USDA zones 5 through 8. Zone is only the starting point, though: the soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific land decide how well it actually does.
A USDA zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme winter minimum, so zones 5–8 spans average winter lows from -20°F to 20°F (USDA PHZM 2023). Across the 50 states and DC, that band covers 19 outright and splits 31 more down the middle — and which side of that line your land sits on changes the answer.
Zones 5–8·Where Stewartia growsOpen map →
This map is derived from the USDA ARS / PRISM Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023) and is not the official USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map.
Where Stewartia stands, state by state
Stewartia is rated for zones 5–8 — a cold floor USDA puts at -20 to -10°F. Across the 50 states and DC, 19 sit fully inside that band, the line runs through 31 more, and 1 sits outside it — and inside every split state, the same line runs on at county grain.
Fully inside zones 5–8
19 states
3 of 19 shown
The line runs through
31 states
3 of 31 shown
Stewartia’s band covers part of each of these states — which side of the line your county sits on changes the answer, and each state page draws it.
Outside zones 5–8
1 state
- North Dakota · zones 3b-4b
Winter cold is the limit here — the same plant often works in a container that comes under cover. Each link is that state’s own growing hub.
State zone extents: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023. A zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme minimum temperature, so a state that splits the band contains the boundary — its own page draws the county line, and a parcel report resolves which side your land sits on.
What grows around Stewartia
Growing guides for stewartia
Good to know
Stewartia offers moderate value to bees and other pollinators. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Your land is one point inside Stewartia's range
This page resolves to the species. Your state page draws the county line, and a report reads the parcel — the soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost dates on your exact ground, which no species average can see.
See if Stewartia will thrive on your land
Zone averages are a start. Your soil pH, drainage, sun exposure, and frost dates shape whether stewartia actually takes. We score it against the mapped and modelled conditions at your address.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources analyzed in seconds
How we know this about Stewartia
The figures above are cited per row, not per site: the pH band names this plant’s own source column, the three temperature figures each carry their own, and days-to-maturity cites the publication that actually lists it. All of it comes from the Growable Ground Plant Database — a compilation over FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS, and university Extension sources, published openly with per-field provenance.
Grounded inUSDA PLANTS Database
Frequently asked questions
Can I grow Stewartia in my zone?
Stewartia grows in USDA hardiness zones 5 through 8 (Rated hardy to zone 5 by NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, checked Oct 2026. Ceiling: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox (read 2026-10-06).). Zone is one factor — soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific parcel also shape whether it takes.
When should you plant Stewartia?
Set stewartia out in early spring or fall while it's dormant, so the roots establish before the heat of summer. Your local last-frost date — which a Growable Ground report pulls for your exact address — sets the precise window.
How much sun does Stewartia need?
Stewartia does well in partial sun — around 4 hours of direct sun, and it takes some afternoon shade in stride. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet. That flexibility makes it a good match for a bed the house or a nearby tree shades for part of the day. A Growable Ground report maps how the sun actually falls on your land, hour by hour, so you can set it where the light lines up.
What soil does Stewartia need?
Stewartia prefers soil pH 5 to 7, on well-drained ground. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet. Your report scores your parcel's mapped soil against that using USDA SSURGO data.
Does Stewartia attract pollinators?
Yes — stewartia's flowers are a solid nectar source for honeybees and native bees. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Keep exploring Stewartia
Stewartia state by state
Every state stewartia's zone reaches — 2 link straight to that state's stewartia growing page; the rest open the state's full growing guide.