Emmenopterys henryi
Emmenopterys henryi doesn’t appear to have a common name. Many call it one of the most beautiful trees in south and central China where it grows in the wild. Former gardener of the Sino-Himalayan Garden, Gerry G., said it was his very favourite tree in the Garden.
It is deciduous and has attractive, shiny leaves, similar to those of coffee trees, on red stems. However, it is better known for its beautiful, waxy, white flowers. It was brought to the West by the famous plant hunter Ernest Wilson in the early 1900s where it was soon planted in Great Britain, then it made its way to Europe and North America. However, there was a very long wait for these non-China trees to flower, with the first reported blooming of a tree in Italy in 1971. None of the trees planted early in the 20th century in Britain started blooming until 1987! Sadly, some never bloomed again.
Even in the wild, the trees don’t bloom until they are at least 30 years old. In cultivation outside their native area, they are even more tardy. One tree in Wales only bloomed after it was a hundred years old. The secret for blooming seems to be a prolonged summer hot spell after a cold winter, something we have certainly had this year.
Update: It also bloomed in 2024.
Featured in August 2023 Garden Story.
Tree photo by Hughie Jones, taken in the Garden.