Halesia

Halesia (Silverbell or Snowdrop Tree) is a small genus of four or five species of deciduous large shrubs or small trees in the family Styracaceae, native to eastern Asia and eastern North America. They grow to 5-20 m tall (rarely to 39 m), and have alternate, simple ovate leaves 5-16 cm long and 3-8 cm broad. The flowers are pendulous, white or pale pink, produced in open clusters of 2-6 together, each flower 1-3 cm long. The fruit is an oblong dry drupe 2-4 cm long, with two or four narrow longitudinal ribs or wings.


USES
Silverbells are popular ornamental plants in large gardens, grown for their delicate pendulous flowers in late spring.


Selected species
Halesia diptera (Two-winged Silverbell or Two-winged Snowdrop Tree) is a species in the family Styracaceae, native to the southeastern United States from South Carolina and Florida west to eastern Texas. It is a large shrub or small tree reaching 4-8 m tall. The leaves are deciduous, 6-12 cm long and 4-7 cm broad. The flowers are white, 2-2.5 cm long, produced in clusters of 3-6 together. The fruit is a dry (non-fleshy) drupe with two wings down the sides; this distinguishes it from the other species of Halesia, which have four wings on the fruit. Halesia diptera is cultivated as an ornamental tree.

Halesia macgregorii is a species of flowering plant in the family Styracaceae. It is endemic to southeastern China, where it grows at moderate altitudes of 700–1,200 m. It is threatened by habitat loss. Recent genetic evidence suggests it is probably more closely related to the genus Rehderodendron than to other species of Halesia; it may be transferred to that genus in the future. It is a deciduous tree growing to 24 m tall, with a trunk up to 45 cm diameter. The leaves are 5–13 cm long and 3–4.5 cm broad, with a petiole 5–10 cm long. The flowers are pendulous, 1.5 cm long, with four white petals. The fruit is a dry drupe 2.5–4 cm long and 2–3 cm diameter.

Halesia tetraptera (Common Silverbell or Carolina Silverbell) is a species in the family Styracaceae, native to the southeastern United States. It is a small deciduous tree growing to 10 m tall. The leaves are ovate to lanceolate, 5–16 cm long and 4–7 cm broad. The flowers are 1–2.5 cm long, with a four-lobed white corolla. The fruit is a dry drupe 4 cm long, with four wings running along its length.

Halesia parviflora

Halesia carolina

Halesia monticola

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