The Dove Tree

The Dove Tree or Hankerchief Tree was introduced to the western world by Ernest Wilson in 1901. Named after Father Armand David, a naturalist in China who first described the tree (and was also the first westerner to describe the Panda). Davidia involucrata, is the only species in the genus Davidia, though there are a couple of varieties. Notorious for not blooming for decades until full maturity, there is a named selection (Sonoma) that blooms as a much younger tree. Sometimes classed in the Tupulo family and sometimes in the Dogwood family, the flower is the maroon center ball while the two white “wings” are bracts, and technically not petals. Whatever name you use, a tree in full flower is a stunning sight.