Herb: Silver-Bell Tree


Latin name: Halesia carolina


Synonyms: Halesia tetraptera


Family: Styracaceae (Storax Family)



Edible parts of Silver-Bell Tree:

The ripe fruit is chewed for its acidity. Unripe fruits are sometimes pickled.The fruit is about 4cm in diameter.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Deciduous
Tree

Height:
8 m
(26 feet)

Flowering:
May


Scent:
Scented
Tree

Habitat of the herb:

Moist woods along the sides of streams in the mountains.

Other uses of Silver-Bell Tree:

Wood - soft, light, close-grained. It weighs 35lb per cubic foot. Trees occasionally grow large enough for saw timber and are then cut and used for panelling and cabinet making.

Propagation of the herb:

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. It takes 18 months to germinate. Warm stratifying the seed for 2 - 3 months at 14 - 25°C then cold stratifying for 2 - 3 months at 0 - 5°C can reduce the germination time. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Cuttings of greenwood, 5 - 8cm with a heel, May/June in a frame. Roots in 28 days. A fair percentage. Layering in early spring as the buds break. Takes 12 months. High percentage.

Cultivation of Silver-Bell Tree:

Moist woods along the sides of streams in the mountains.

Medicinal use of the herb:

None known

Known hazards of Halesia carolina:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.