Landscape Plants

Broadleaf evergreen flowering shrub; multi-stemmed; compact, mounding and spreading growth habit, 3-4 ft high and 4-5 ft wide (0.9-1.2 × 1.2-1.5 m), and possibly wider [after 5 years the original plant was about 8 ft (2.4 m) wide].  Freely branching; removal of the terminal bud enhances lateral branch development. Leaves simple, alternate, thick and leathery, about 6 cm long and 2 cm wide, elliptical shape, acute apex, base cuneate, and margin entire.  Bloom occurs in late winter or early spring.  Flowers are borne in leaf axils on short clusters (racemes), although they lack petals, other flower parts contribute to their reddish maroon color. The mature fruit is a brown woody capsule about 1.5 × 0.7 cm.

Sun to part shade, heat and drought tolerant

Hardy to USDA Zone 6        ‘Vintage Jade’ originated as an open-pollinated seedling from seed collected from a Distylium sp. hybrid (Distylium myricoides × D. racemosum) growing in Watkinsville, Ga.  USPP23128P2, assigned to Plant Introductions, Inc. and the Univ. Georgia Research Foundation.   See a 2015 article (https://www.growertalks.com/Article/?articleid=21697) by Michael Dirr in Grower Talks for infomation on the parent species and other selections developed.

Distylium: from the Greek, dis, twice and stylos, style, a reference to its flowers having two styles

Corvallis: on First St. across from the Marriott Courtyard hotel