This week: Carolina Silverbell, a Tree with Fall and Winter Appeal
Hello!
Autumn isn’t only for leaves but also for seed pods, too. One of my favorite seed pods hangs from the Carolina Silverbell tree (Halesia carolina or H. tetraptera—there’s some debate). What makes this seed pod so lovely?
First, it has a unique shape—imagine a four-sided starfruit hanging from a tree in bunches. Second, these seed pods are yellow-green in late summer and turn a leathery brown by the fall, just as the foliage turns golden. The seed pods persist on the tree into winter, so there’s almost always something interesting going on with this tree.
Silverbell trees are also rather spectacular in the spring. The tree is covered in clusters of small white bell-shaped flowers that attract hummingbirds and pollinators, and it reportedly makes tasty honey. Carolina Silverbell is also a hardworking host plant for the caterpillar forms of the Promethea moth, Eastern Comma, Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Mourning Cloak, Red-Spotted Purple, and Viceroy butterflies.
This tree’s native range is mainly in the southeastern Appalachians—more Blue Ridge Mountains than the Alleghenies—but it is well-suited for the hot, humid summers common in Southwestern Pennsylvania. It even tolerates wetter soils and rain gardens. In the wild, it can live for a hundred years or more and grow a hundred feet tall, but in landscapes, it is a mid-sized tree topping out at 30 or 40 feet tall. Fantastic for the front yard or an urban neighborhood!
Elsewhere:
This week, I learned about artist Patricia Johanson, a pioneer in ecological restoration who created large-scale art out of sewage treatment sites, old dumps, and coal mining sites. She reintroduced native plants, restored habitats, and reconnected landscapes with communities. Sadly, she died on October 16 at 84. Her Wikipedia page is a great starting point for exploring her work.
Remember to vote on Tuesday,
Julie