Davidia involucrata

Name: Davidia involucrata

Common Name: Dove tree, handkerchief tree, ghost tree

Description: This deciduous tree features red-anthered flowers in rounded clusters throughout April and May. However, the showy parts of the bloom are the large oval-rounded white involucre bracts (one is 3-4 inches long and the other is 6-7 inches long). The bracts flutter in the slightest breeze, resembling white doves sitting in the tree -- hence the common name. Flowers are followed by round, greenish-brown, golf ball-sized fruits on 2- to 3-inch stems. It’s often reported that the dove tree is slow to flower, sometimes taking several years.

Growth Habit: Typically grows 20-40 feet tall with a broad, pyramidal habit.

Hardiness: USDA Hardiness Zones 6-8.

In the landscape: Grows best in rich, consistently moist, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Its hardiness range is limited, so plant in a protected area.

For More: Missouri Botanical Garden, www.mobot.org.