PlantPeers
Back to Catalog
No image available
Styracaceae FAMILY Least Concern

Styrax officinalis

Styrax officinalis

Edibility
2/5
Medicinal
2/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitDeciduous Shrub
GrowthSlow

Styrax officinalis is a plant of the Mediterranean and requires hot summers if it is to thrive[1]. It is not very cold-hardy outside the milder regions of the temperate zone. Dormant plants can tolerate short periods with temperatures down to about -5°c[2] but the young growth in spring is liable to be damaged by late frosts[3]. Plants are known to succeed in the milder parts of Britain[4] - they were growing and fruiting well on a west-facing wall at Kew (London) in 1992[PFAF]. Requires a light lime-free soil in sun or semi-shade[3, 2]. If planted out when young into a planting hole that has been filled with a light lime-free soil the plants will successfully grow into the surrounding soil[3]. Prefers a warm sheltered position with protection from the morning sun[3]. Dislikes wet soils. Established plants are drought tolerant, they grow better in Britain when the summer is dry. Plants do not flower freely unless in a warm sunny spot or on a south facing wall[5]. The flowers are very fragrant[6]. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[2].

Propagation

Seed - requires stratification and is best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe[3]. Stored seed requires 3 months warm then 3 months cold stratification[7]. Germination is usually good, prick out the seedlings into individual pots once they are large enough to handle. Overwinter in a greenhouse for the first winter and plant out in late spring. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, mid summer in a frame[7]. Layering in autumn. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Styrax+officinalis>

Pollinators

Data unavailable

References

  1. [1]New Trees — Grimshaw J.; Bayton R.; Wilks H. · Kew Publishing; London · 2009 · ISBN 1842461737 ↩︎Provides comprehensive botanical descriptions and horticultural commentary on over 800 tree species that have been introduced to cultivation in recent decades.
  2. [2]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
  3. [3]Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. — Bean. W. · Murray · 1981 · ISBN - ↩︎A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.
  4. [4]RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 — F. Chittendon. · Oxford University Press · 1951 · ISBN - ↩︎Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [ 200 ]).
  5. [5]Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. — Thomas. G. S. · Murray · 1992 · ISBN 0-7195-5043-2 ↩︎Contains a wide range of plants with a brief description, mainly of their ornamental value but also usually of cultivation details and varieties.
  6. [6]Gardening on Walls — Grey-Wilson. C. & Matthews. V. · Collins · 1983 · ISBN 0-00-219220-0 ↩︎A nice little book about plants for growing against walls and a small section on plants that can grow in walls.
  7. [7]The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. — Dirr. M. A. and Heuser. M. W. · Athens Ga. Varsity Press · 1987 · ISBN 0942375009 ↩︎A very detailed book on propagating trees. Not for the casual reader.
  8. [8]IUCN Red List of Threatened Species — http://www.iucnredlist.org/ ↩︎A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
  9. [9]Flowers of Greece and the Balkans. — Polunin. O. · Oxford University Press · 1980 · ISBN 0-19-217626-9 ↩︎A good pocket flora, it also lists quite a few plant uses.
  10. [10]Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. — Facciola. S. · Kampong Publications · 1990 · ISBN 0-9628087-0-9 ↩︎Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.
  11. [11]Flowering Plants of the World. — Haywood. V. H. · Oxford University Press · ISBN 0-19-217674-9 ↩︎Very readable and well illustrated, it lists plants by families giving the basic diagnostic features and some details of plant uses.
  12. [12]Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement). — Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C. · Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi. · 1986 · ISBN - ↩︎Very terse details of medicinal uses of plants with a wide range of references and details of research into the plants chemistry. Not for the casual reader.
  13. [13]Vegetable Gums and Resins. — Howes. F. N. · Faber · ISBN 81-88818-17-8 ↩︎A very good book dealing with the subject in a readable way.
  14. [14]Flowers of the Mediterranean. — Polunin. O. and Huxley. A. · Hogarth Press · 1987 · ISBN 0-7012-0784-1 ↩︎A very readable pocket flora that is well illustrated. Gives some information on plant uses.
  15. [15]Herbs of Greece. — Niebuhr. A. D. · Herb Society of America. · 1970 · ISBN - ↩︎A pleasant little book about Greek herbs.
  16. [PFAF]Plants for a Future — pfaf.org ↩︎