FNPS Plant Database

Styrax americanus

American snowbell
  • Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS

Nomenclature

Common Name:

American snowbell

Synonym(s):

Genus species:

Styrax americanus

Family:

Styracaceae

Plant Specifics

Form:

Tree

Size:

6–10 (12) ft tall by 6–10 ft wide

Life Span:

long-lived perennial

Flower Color:

white

Fruit Color:

Phenology:

Deciduous. Blooms in spring. Life span likely >50 yrs (Nelson 2003)

Noted For:

Showy Flowers, Aroma/Showy Fruitsagrance

Landscaping

Recommended Uses:

Understory tree. Specimen plant in moist areas.

Considerations:

Availability:

Native Nurseries

Propagation:

Seed (stratified), layering, softwood cuttings.

Light:

Part Sun, Shade

Moisture Tolerance:

Always Flooded---------------------------------Extremely Dry

□□□□□□□□□■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□

Stays wet -to- Not wet but not extremely dry

Salt Water Flooding

Tolerance:

Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water

Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:

Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray

Soil or Other Substrate:

Sand, Loam

Soil pH:

Acidic

Suitable to Grow In:

8A,8B,9A,9B,10A,10B

USDA zones are based on the average annual extreme minimum winter temperature.

Don't know your zone? Click here to search by zip code.

Vouchered In:

Distribution
Vouchered
Not vouchered
Selected
Click a county The county name will appear here.
No county distribution is available for this plant yet.
Starting…
Map coded by Melissa Fernandez-de Cespedes (Paynes Prairie Chapter)

Ecology

Wildlife:

Pollinators, Butterflies, Birds, Mammals

Attracts pollinators. Attracts butterflies. Host plant for promethea moth ( Callosamia promethea ).

Birds and other animals eat the fruit.

Native Habitats:

Understory of floodplain and wet forests, swamps, shoreline thickets, cypress-gum depressions. Most frequently where annually inundated or where water stands at or above the soil surface for extended periods

Natural Range in Florida:

Comments:

Ethnobotany:

General Comments:

Prolific bloomer: very showy. Fragrant.
FNPS Plant Print

Citations:

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. (Undated). Plant Database: Styrax americanus (American snowbell). ( https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=stam4). Accessed 2026. Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX.


Missouri Botanical Garden. (Undated). Spiranthes odorata [in] PlantFinder. ( https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?taxonid=287280&isprofile=1&gen=Styrax). Accessed 2026. Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO.


Haehle, Robert G. and Joan Brookwell. (1999). Native Florida Plants. Gulf Publishing Company. Houston, TX.


Nelson, Gil. (2003). Florida's Best Landscape Plants: 200 Readily Available Species for Homeowners and Professionals. University Press of Florida, Gainesville, FL.


Osorio, Rufino. (2001). A Gardener's Guide to Florida's Native Plants. University Press of Florida, Gainesville, FL.


University of Tennessee Extension Service. (2010). Desired pH Range and salt tolerance of common nursery plants. ( https://plantsciences.tennessee.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/25/2021/10/Desired-pH-Range-List.pdf). Accessed 2026. University of Tennessee Extension, Knoxville, TN.


Wunderlin, R. P, B. F. Hansen, A. R. Franck, and F. B. Essig. (1999+). Atlas of Florida Plants. ( https://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/). [S. M. Landry and K. N. Campbell (application development), USF Water Institute.] Institute for Systematic Botany, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL.

Request an Update