Virginia Tech Dendrology

two-wing silverbell Styracaceae Halesia diptera Ellis symbol: HADI3
Leaf: Alternate, simple, 2 to 6 inches long, ovate or obovate, margins serrate to toothed, green above, paler below with some pubescence.
Flower: Very showy white, 4-petaled, bell-shaped, 1/2 to 3/4 inch long, borne on long stalks in clusters of 4 to 5, appearing in spring.
Fruit: A very distinctive oblong, dry, 2-winged, corky drupe that is 1 1/2 to 2 inches long, matures late summer, dries and disperses over winter.
Twig: Somewhat zig-zag (terminal bud is absent), brown in color with reddish brown buds; pith is white and chambered. The stem becomes "stringy" after the first year.
Bark: When young, red-brown with white stripes, forming a rough diamond-shape pattern; older trees develop ridges and furrows; ridges eventually develop into scaly plates.
Form: A large shrub or small tree that is quite variable in outline.
Looks like: silverbell - blackgum - common persimmon - sourwood

Additional Range Information: Halesia diptera is native to North America. Range may be expanded by planting. Download the full-size PDF map.
More Information: Fall Color
External Links: USDA Plants Database - Horticulture Information - USDAFS Forest Products Lab
All material 2021 Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation; Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson; Silvics reprinted from Ag Handbook 654; range map source information