Jesse Saylor
Family
Nyssaceae
Botanical Name
Davidia involucrata
Plant Common Name
Dovetree
General Description
Large white flower bracts flutter from the branches of this medium-sized deciduous tree in spring, suggesting a flock of doves. Davidia involucrata is native to forests of central and western China.
The rather large, heart-shaped leaves of this hardy tree are bright green with fuzzy undersides. The leaves of variety vilmoriniana have little or no fuzz. Small, spherical, brush-like flower clusters nestle between pairs of drooping, porcelain-white, leaf-shaped bracts in mid to late spring. Flowering may be sparse some years. The flowers are followed by green, purple-flushed, pingpong-ball-sized fruits, each housing a bony nut.
This oval-crowned, single- or multi-trunked tree has a smooth gray-brown that exfoliates with age, exposing showy copper-tinged underlayers.
Dove tree thrives in full to partial sun and well-drained, humus-rich soil. Plant it where it has ample room to grow, as it resents restrictive pruning. It makes a breathtaking specimen tree for a residential or public garden, perhaps with a backdrop of conifers to accentuate its white bracts. Seed-propagated plants may take 10 or more years from germination to bloom. Most cultivated dove trees belong to variety vilmoriniana, which is said to be hardier than other members of the species.
Characteristics
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AHS Heat Zone
9 - 1
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USDA Hardiness Zone
6 - 9
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Sunset Zone
4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
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Plant Type
Tree
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Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
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Height
35'-50' / 10.7m - 15.2m
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Width
20'-35' / 6.1m - 10.7m
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Bloom Time
Spring, Late Spring
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Native To
China
Ornamental Features
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Flower Interest
Insignificant
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Flower Color
White
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Fruit Color
Green, Purple
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Foliage Color (Spring)
Green
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Foliage Color (Summer)
Green
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Foliage Color (Fall)
Yellow, Green, Yellow Green
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Bark Color
Orange, Copper, Brown, Gray
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Fragrant Flowers
No
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Fragrant Fruit
No
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Fragrant Foliage
No
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Bark or Stem Fragrant
No
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Flower Petal Number
Single
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Repeat Bloomer
No
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Showy Fruit
No
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Edible Fruit
No
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Showy Foliage
No
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Foliage Texture
Medium
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Foliage Sheen
Matte
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Evergreen
No
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Showy Bark
Yes
