2017 Plant of the Year, Honorable Mention

Proposed by: a member of The Palmetto Garden Club of South Carolina, Zone VIII
Seconded by: a member of The Palmetto Garden Club of South Carolina, Zone VIII

Native to the southeastern United States, mostly in the Piedmont and mountains of the Carolinas, Halesia carolina, commonly known as Carolina silverbell, is a small, deciduous tree with lovely white, pendulous, bell shaped flower clusters blooming from April through May. Grown in USDA Zones 4 through 8, this lovely specimen requires moist, slightly acidic soil in sun or part shade and will reach heights of 40 feet with a spread of 35 feet at maturity. Tolerant of wind and heat, Carolina silverbell is resistant to diseases, insects and deer. This tree is useful in establishing and maintaining riparian forest buffers. Note that the species can be grown as a shrub also.

In the fall, four-sided winged, brownish, nut like fruits appear and often persist well into the winter. Squirrels use the seeds as a food source and the trees for dens. The wood of the silverbell is soft and close-grained making it a favorite wood of craftsmen. This genus honors the Reverend Stephen Hales (1677-1761), an English chemist and inventor. 

Photograph courtesy of R.W. Smith, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center