Native to China and Japan, the Japanese snowbell is a deciduous flowering tree. It grows to 20-30 feet tall, but occasionally reaches up to 50 feet. Snowbells have a smooth and distinctive bark with a dark-green crown of foliage shaped like an upright pyramid.

 They produce fragrant, bell-shaped flowers from May to June. These long-stemmed flowers are usually white, but can sometimes be pink. The flowers give way to olive-shaped fruits at the end of summer, just as the tree’s foliage begins to turn brilliant fall colors. With the onset of winter, the snowbell’s gray bark cracks to reveal a tan inner bark, which stands out beautifully on winter days.