Jamesia - Growing Guide

This is a rare collectors’ plant and represents a fully hardy North American genus of just one species. It is a small deciduous shrub growing, with us, to 4 or 5ft as a bushy rounded shrub.

The stout branches are covered with a bright downy bark. When mature the bark begins to peel off in papery flakes a bit like Hydrangea villosa or dipelta. The leaves have scattered hairs on the topside and are downy or felted beneath.

The flowers are pure white and slightly scented. The reference books say that these appear in May but we have found that the main display is in June or July as this plant is slow to come into leaf in late spring. The individual oblong star shaped flowers are up to ½in across in small terminal panicles.

We grow this as a freestanding shrub in woodland alongside hydrangea species and enkianthus. It could easily be placed instead in a shrub border.

Cuttings are slow to root and should be taken early in the year as you would a hydrangea.  

Jamesia americana

Jamesia americana

Jamesia americana

Jamesia americana