Jack Tree was discovered by Professor H. H. Hu in Nanking China in 1925, the only location where it is native. This area receives some protection, while a portion is vulnerable to loss due to habitat degradation. Specimens can be found flourishing in arboretums and botanical gardens worldwide. It can be difficult if not impossible to find for a home garden. Jack Tree is a flowering deciduous tree or large shrub native to eastern China. Plant in moist, well-drained, acidic, fertile soils in the full sun to partial shade. Once established these trees are resistant to drought. Protection from afternoon sun is recommended. Pruning includes pinching to remove the stem tips from a young plant, which in turn will promote branching while avoiding severe pruning as the tree matures. Thinning by the removal of entire branches to the trunk. This will allow more light and air circulation through the branches and can help eliminate diseases. Often confused with Sinojackia rehderiana. The size and shape of its fruits can help with identification. Sinojackia rehderiana has ovoid fruits, under 3/4" in length, while the fruits of Sinojackia xylocarpa are ellipsoid and larger. Two cultivars of Sinojackia xylocarpa, 'Lagrima' and 'Linda Carol', were both developed in North Carolina. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No serious issues.
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
High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt)
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
12-24 feet; 24-60 feet
NC region
Coastal; Piedmont
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
2 - Understory
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect; Spreading
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Elliptical; Obovate
Leaf margin
Serrate
Leaf feel
Glossy; Leathery
Leaf size
3-6 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Dark green, glossy 3 1/2" long obovate to ellipitcal leaves with serrate margins. Yellow-brown fall color.
Fall color
Brown/Copper; Gold/Yellow
Flower color
White
Flower value
Showy
Flower form
Cyme
Flower shape
Star
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
White star-shaped flowers with yellow centers appear from May to June in clusters of 3-5 on a cyme. They hang downward toward the ground. Flowers can have from 5 to 7 petals.
Bloom time
Spring
Fruit type
Drupe
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
Woody egg shaped drupe 3/4" long ripen mid-summer through fall.
Stem color
Brown/Copper; Gray/Silver
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Eastern China
Play value
Attractive Flowers; Shade
Food & Medicine
Harvest time
Fall; Summer
Fruit type
Drupe
Uses (ethnobotany)
Landscape
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Lawn; Woodland
Landscape theme
Drought Tolerant Garden
Design feature
Flowering Tree; Small Tree; Specimen
Garden tags
#flowering tree #flowers late spring #showy flowers #drought tolerant #white flowers #small tree #large shrub #glossy leaves #deciduous shrub #deciduous #deciduous tree #disease resistant #heat tolerant #deer resistant #frost tolerant