Blue Sandlewood is a hardy, flowering, multi-stemmed deciduous tree in the hops family native to the mountainous regions of China and found on limestone, river and stream banks at elevations of more than 300 feet. At maturity, the tree can reach a height of 30 to 45 feet tall, with some reaching 60 feet. It is typically grown as an ornamental, but is also harvested in China to make Xuan paper. The insignificant green flowers appear in spring and fall leaf color is yellow. The gray-brown bark exfoliates in dramatic fashion in patches and ribbons. This tree prefers moist, well-drained loamy soil in full sun, but is tolerant of most soil types including gravely and sandy ones. It is drought tolerant when established. It can be used as a shade tree. The slender shoots and leaves of an immature tree are clothed with small appressed hairs which soon fall away. Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems: No known diseases or insect pests.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Dry
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 30 ft. 0 in. - 45 ft. 0 in. | Width: 2 ft. 6 in. - 3 ft. 6 in.
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
1 - Canopy (>40 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Multi-stemmed; Rounded
Texture
Coarse
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Oblong; Ovate
Leaf margin
Serrate
Leaf feel
Rough
Leaf size
3-6 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
Two to four inch, broadly ovate to oblong leaves with serrated margins. Medium to dark green leaves. Fall color is yellow. Four to six secondary veins on each side of midvein. The upper surface is harsh to the touch, with innumerable minute warts; the lower surface has tufts of down.
Fall color
Gold/Yellow
Flower color
Green
Flower form
Insignificant
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Insignificant green flowers appear from March through May. The flowers are unisexual, the males in stalkless clusters, the females solitary in the leaf-axils.
Bloom time
Spring
Fruit color
Brown/Copper; Green
Fruit type
Nut
Fruit size
< 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
1/2 to 3/4 inch winged, yellowish green to yellowish brown nut appears from August to October. The nut is borne on a slender stalk about 1/2 inch long.
Bark color
Dark Brown; Dark Gray
Bark detail
Dramatic grayish white to dark gray exfoliating bark in ribbons covers the mature tree.
Stem color
Brown/Copper
Stem detail
Woody, brown stems with white lenticels. Winter buds ovoid.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
China
Food & Medicine
Harvest time
Fall; Summer
Fruit type
Nut
Uses (ethnobotany)
Valued as a good quality timber tree. The bark fiber is used to make Xuan paper, a soft and fine-textured paper thought suitable for conveying artistic expression.
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Lawn; Woodland
Landscape theme
Asian Garden
Design feature
Shade Tree; Specimen
Garden tags
#deciduous #shade tree #drought tolerant #fall interest #ornamental tree #lumber #exfoliating bark