(Styrax grandifolius )
The Snowbell (Storax) Family (Styracaceae)
Small, round crowned tree with alternate, deciduous, large, oval leaves; smooth, dark gray bark; white, fragrant bell-shaped flowers and small, brown nutlet.
Habitat:
Moist or wet soils of valleys and uplands; in understory of hardwood forests.
Interesting Facts:
Common name refers to its larger leaves compared to American Snowbell (Styrax americanus). Bark yields storax, a resin used in incense and perfumes. Wood ducks eat the fruit.
Fruit:
Orange-brown, round capsule, .375” long, in racemes, maturing in late summer.
Flower:
Showy, bell-shaped white flowers, .75 to 1”, with five petals, in drooping clusters, blooming in spring.
Wildlife value:
Flowers provide pollen to bees and other pollinators; foliage and seeds are a food source for mammals and seed-eating birds; produces limited cover for small mammals and birds.
Flowers
Fruit
Leaf type:
Simple
Pollinator:
Wildlife value:
Tree dimensions:
Leaf length: 2.50-5.50 inches
Tree height: 8.00-25.00 feet
Where to find Bigleaf Snowbell on the Louisiana State Arboretum Trails:
WAB - Walker Branch Trail 4.0
BBR - Backbone Ridge Trail 3.0
Refer to our Live Map to locate this species and its interpretative signage on the trail system.