It is called natsutsubaki(ナツツバキ, "summer camellia") in Japanese,[5] and nogaknamu(노각나무, "overripe cucumber tree") in Korean.

[7] It is a small to medium sized deciduous tree, growing to 10–15 m (rarely to 18 m) tall[8][9] often with multiple stems and/or low branching trunks.

The bark is smooth textured, exfoliating as the plants age, and has a camouflaged or mottled appearance with patterns of dull orange and green with grey mixed in.

The flowers are up to 8 cm wide, with five white petals with orange anthers; they are shaped like those of the related Camellia, round and flat to somewhat cupped.

[5][6][9] There are two varieties:[8][9] Stewartia pseudocamellia is an attractive ornamental tree that grows best in rich organic soils with good drainage and consistent moisture throughout the year.