Leaf

Agnieszka Kwiecień, Nova, Wikimedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Carolina silverbell

Halesia carolina L.

Also known as: Snowdrop tree

Family: Styracaceae

6 to 10 m tall

Small ornamental tree planted as a specimen in parks and large gardens for its spring flowering.

Flowering: April – May

Full sun

Part shade

Hardy to about -20°C

❓ How do you recognise this plant?

Its white bell-shaped flowers hang in clusters along the bare branches in spring, which earns it the name silverbell tree; the winged fruits that follow often persist for much of the winter.

🍃 Leaves

Deciduous, alternate, elliptic to ovate, finely toothed, mid-green

🌸 Flowers

White, pendent bells, clustered along the branches, appearing before or with the leaves

🍎 Fruits

Woody capsule with four longitudinal wings, brown-green

🪵 Bark

Grey, smooth then slightly fissured with age

🗺️ Distribution

Native to the south-eastern United States, introduced to Europe as an ornamental tree

🐝 Value for pollinators

Nectar-rich flowers visited by bees in spring

✂️ Horticultural uses

Planted as a specimen or in light woodland, appreciated in a position sheltered from wind

ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.

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