Woody > Davidia > Davidia involucrata > Davidia involucrata
Davidia involucrata
Dove Tree, Ghost Tree, or Handkerchief Tree
Mike's
Opinion
"
A unique plant, involucrata is the only member of the genus Davidia. A show-stopper of a tree when in bloom and beautiful any time of the year with attractive foliage and graceful form. With the flowers out in full, a slightest breeze will cause the whole tree to come alive and the white bracts resemble a flock of white doves hovering among the branches.
Michael Pascoe, NDP., ODH., CLT., MSc. (Plant Conservation)
"
| Family |
| Nyssaceae |
| Genus |
| Davidia |
| Species |
| involucrata |
| Category |
| Woody |
| Type |
| Tree (deciduous) |
| Pronunciation |
| USDA Hardiness Zone |
| 7b - 8a |
| Canadian Hardiness Zone |
| 7b |
| RHS Hardiness Zone |
| H5 |
| Temperature (°C) |
| -15 to -10 |
| Temperature (°F) |
| 5 - 14 |
| Height |
| 15 - 18 m |
| Spread |
| 10 m |
Photographs
Cultivars
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Awards
Description and Growing Information
Flowering Period
| General Description |
| A broadly pyramidal tree of medium size with large, attractive foliage and a stunning array of flowers when in bloom. Fruit is fairly unattractive; handsome bark provides winter interest. It is a rather tender plant but hardens somewhat with age. |
| Cultivation |
| Requires deep, rich soil, moist but well drained. Prefers a moderately low pH; responds well to added peat moss. Not drought tolerant and needs to be kept watered during extended dry periods. Will branch at low levels, requiring corrective pruning to encourage a strong central leader. Prefers partial shade but will perform nicely in full sun as well if well watered; should be given a location sheltered from winds. Quite a tender tree when young, but usually hardens off with age. |
| Shape |
| Broadly pyramidal form, more so in a young plant, with gracefully ascending branches. |
| Growth |
| Slow |
| ID Characteristic |
| Can be identified by unique flowers in late spring. When not in bloom, identifying characteristics would a combination of the distinct elliptical leaf shape, slender red petiole, and the vertical habit of the branches. |
| Pests |
| Not seriously affected by pests or diseases |
| Habitat |
| Found naturally in the damp, mountain woodlands of southwestern China. |
| Bark/Stem Description |
| Orange-brown in colour and gets scaly with age; some winter interest. |
| Flower/Leaf Bud Description |
| Buds are large, solitary, and lateral buds develop into short spurs. Covered in 6 or so blunt, pale-edged scales. They are smooth and lustrous, and reddish brown in colour. |
| Leaf Description |
| Simple leaves are alternately arranged on the stem, with slender red petioles and no stipules. Leaves are cordate-ovate, acuminate, coarsely serrated with prominent veins. Glabrous above and heavily pubescent beneath. 5-13.5 cm long, 10 cm wide. |
| Flower Description |
| Subglobose head 2 cm across on a 7.5 cm peduncle; andromonoecious. Instead of petals; two opposing, cream-white bracts. The lower bract is 18.5 cm by 10 cm, and upper bract is 10 cm by 5 cm. Often flowers in alternate years. |
| Fruit Description |
| Fruit is a solitary drupe or stone fruit of an ovoid shape, 3.5 cm long, green turning to a russet brown speckled with red. The ridged endocarp contains 3 to 5 seeds and matures in the autumn. |
| Colour Description |
| Leaves are bright green in summer with practically no autumn colour. They often drop green or turn a brown colour, and will fall almost all at once in the autumn. |
| Texture Description |
| Medium texture. |
| Notable Specimens |
| Two flowering specimens at the Niagara Parks Botanical Gardens, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada. Westonbirt, The National Arboretum, Tetbury, Gloucestershire, England. |
| Propagation |
| Whole fruit can be sown, or use fresh seed (dried seed has lower germination rate), germination will occur after two winters as seeds are doubly-dormant. Can also be propagated by taking cuttings from hardwood or half-ripened wood. Trees grown from seed may take up to 20 years to flower. |
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