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    • ERICA, ERICA'S TREE (and a short history of Guiding) - June 14, 2018
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  • Halesia monticola

Halesia monticola

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Other common name: Carolina silverbell


Planted in 1976 right near Oak Street, our mountain snowdrop tree (Halesia monticola) is thriving. Probably getting a good view of the North Shore Mountains helps. Its specific epithet ‘monticola’ means ‘dweller in mountains’. 


Native to the Appalachian Mountains of Tennessee, North Carolina and Georgia, this deciduous tree can grow up to 27 m/80 ft. In the Great Smokey Mountains, it’s been known to reach 34 m/102 ft tall. Mountain snowdrop is the largest member of its genus, but it is usually smaller in cultivation.


The branches on older trees bend. You can see in the pictures our mountain snowdrop is doing exactly that. While rare in cultivation, this tree has flowers that are among the most attractive of native plants. Its pendulous bell-shaped flowers resemble snowdrops. They appear in large numbers in spring at the same time as the new leaves.


But it is wildlife that value mountain snowdrop the most. Buds and flower clusters are eaten by birds. Butterflies, bees, and other pollinators enjoy the nectar from the flowers. It is also a host plant for the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Mourning Cloak, Eastern Comma, Red-spotted-Purple, and Viceroy butterflies. They lay their eggs on this tree knowing its leaves will keep their caterpillars well fed. Caterpillars are essential food for most newly hatched birds. With native host plant and bird numbers decreasing over the years, we need these trees more than ever. 


The pictures were taken in bed 5 at VanDusen in spring.


More information plus correct pronunciation of genus name


Text and photos by Hughie Jones

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  • Home
  • Updates
    • What's New
    • Extra Credit News
    • Garden Stories >
      • Garden Story Index
    • Self-Guided Tours
    • Curator Updates
    • Guide Training
    • Walks & Talks >
      • Walks and Talks 2023
      • Walks and Talks 2022
      • Walks -Talks 2021 & Zoom Tips
    • PDFs of Updates, Tours, & Talks >
      • Self-guided Tours (PDF)
      • Gardener Walks (PDF)
  • Plant IDs
    • ID By Flower Color >
      • Red Flowers
      • Pink Flowers
      • Orange Flowers
      • Yellow Flowers
      • Green Flowers
      • Blue Flowers
      • Purple Flowers
      • White Flowers
    • ID By Type >
      • Annuals
      • Berries-Fruits-Nuts
      • Bulbs, Corms, Rhizomes, Tubers >
        • Bulbs
        • Corms
        • Rhizomes
        • Tubers
      • Ferns
      • Grasses
      • Medicinal Plants
      • Native Plants
      • Perennials >
        • Peonies
        • Salvias
      • Rhododendrons >
        • Rhodendron Erica Notes
      • Shrubs >
        • Calycanthus
        • Hydrangeas >
          • Hydrangea Background
        • Peonies >
          • Peonies-Overview
        • Rhododendrons
        • Roses >
          • Rose Background
      • Trees >
        • Conifers >
          • Cypress
          • Firs
          • Pines
        • Conifer Connect Exhibit
        • Deciduous Trees >
          • Dogwoods
          • Ginkgos
          • Magnolias
          • Witch Hazels
        • Native Trees
        • Tree of the Month
  • In the Garden
    • Map and Collection Lists >
      • Plant Locator
    • Art in the Garden >
      • Symposium & Exhibitions
    • Building and Grounds >
      • Bridges
      • Formal Rose Garden Hardscape and Art
      • Grotto Area & Black Garden
      • Korean Pavilion
      • Maze
    • Gardener Assignments
    • Collections >
      • Ash Collection
      • Camellia Collection
      • Rhododendron Walk
    • Gardens >
      • Gardens A-D >
        • Alma VanDusen Garden
        • Backyard Bird Garden
        • Bentall Garden
        • Black Garden
        • Canadian Heritage Garden >
          • Bees
          • Canadian Heritage Orchard
        • Cascadia Garden
        • Cherry Grove
        • Chilean Garden
      • Gardens E-H >
        • Eastern North America Garden
        • Fern Dell
        • Formal Rose Garden
        • Fragrance Garden
        • Heather Garden
        • Herb Garden
        • Heritage Rose Garden
      • Gardens I-P >
        • Laburnum Walk
        • Livingstone Lake
        • Meconopsis Dell
        • Meditation Garden
        • Mediterranean Garden
        • Ornamental Grasses
        • Perennial Garden
      • Gardens R-Z >
        • Rhododendron Walk
        • Sino-Himayalan Region
        • South African Garden
        • Southern Hemisphere
        • Stone Garden
        • Vegetable Garden
        • Woodland Garden
    • Garden History >
      • History photos
  • Science
    • Animals & Insects >
      • Birds
      • Butterflies and Moths
      • Insect Friends
      • Small Creatures
    • Buds
    • Colour and Vision
    • Dynamic Symmetry - Fibonacci Spirals
    • Flowers
    • Fruit
    • Germination
    • Habitats and Environments
    • Hormones
    • Leaves
    • Life on Earth
    • Light, Energy, and Rainbows
    • Plant Calendars
    • Pollination
    • Pollen
    • Roots
    • Scents
    • Seeds
    • Soil
    • Stems
    • Vascular Plants
    • Web of Interdependence
    • Weeds
  • Bloedel
  • Search
    • Internet links
  • About
    • ERICA, ERICA'S TREE (and a short history of Guiding) - June 14, 2018
  • Contact