Matthew Stevens: Native tree's ornamental value underappreciated

There are some truly fantastic native plants and there are great reasons to use these native plants in our landscaping. Native plants are part of our national heritage, many native plants serve as host plants and/or food sources for beneficial insects and wildlife, and many are simply attractive plants that are not often used in modern landscapes.

Plants that are native to the United States, or North Carolina in particular, are naturally well adapted to our local conditions and tend to do well in our landscapes provided they are grown in conditions that mirror where they are found in nature. If incorporating natives into your landscape, use them wisely and with a proper amount of consideration.

It’s important to remember that the conditions in our landscapes are often quite different than those a native plant might grow in naturally. For example, you’ll often find dogwoods growing naturally on the edges of forests, where they receive a good deal of shade, yet many people plant them in full sun in their front yard. Many other native plants grow naturally in wet, swampy areas but when used in the landscape are planted in dry, sandy soil.

Native plants, like any other, are subject to the “right plant for the right place” rule, meaning that you should pick a plant that will thrive in the conditions you can provide for it. Any plant, whether native or non-native, that is growing in a less-than-ideal location is going to struggle. Simply knowing that a plant is native to North Carolina doesn’t tell us enough about that plant to make an informed decision on how to use it in the landscape.

One underappreciated native tree that I particularly like is the Carolina silverbell, Halesia tetraptera. This is a medium-sized, multi-trunked deciduous tree that grows to 30-40 feet tall, with a slender upright growth habit. Its greatest ornamental trait is its powerful spring bloom, with white, bell-shaped flowers that hang from the branches for a few weeks in April. Flowers emerge just before the leaves, which allows its bloom to have great impact.

Silverbell attracts hummingbirds, bees and a number of different butterfly species. It has dark green leaves which fade to yellow in autumn and drop early, revealing a small brown fruit that has some unique ornamental appeal. Carolina silverbell likes moist, slightly acidic, organic soils and grows well in mostly sun or light shade environments.

Carolina silverbell is in the Styracaceae family, so it is related to Styrax americanus and Styrax japonicus, the American and Japanese snowbells. Each of these is more commonly used in modern landscapes, and the American snowbell is of course a native as well. The snowbells are small trees, 10-25 feet tall, and thus easier to fit in most landscapes, however, the ornamental features are quite similar to the Carolina silverbell.

If you’ve got room in the landscape and the right soil and light conditions, Carolina silverbell would be an interesting plant to add that you probably won’t see at any other house on the block.