In flower now, is our specimen of Distylium racemosum ‘Akebono’. While Distylium is quite popular now, compared to decades earlier, many of the specialty variegated cultivars are still little known. The word Akebono is Japanese for the color of the sky at dawn. It is commonly used in Japan to name plants with a bright variegation. We weren’t sure of the mature size of this clone, since Japanese collectors often grow their plants in tiny pots, and keep them severely pruned, but our eight year old specimen is now 8′ tall x 2.5′ wide. Winter hardiness is probably Zone 7a-9b.
