Common name: handkerchief tree, dove tree, ghost tree
Botanical Names: Davidia involucrata
Origin: central China
Colours: small dark bloom held between large white bracts which turn green as they age
I recently came across this amazing tree at Quarry Bank Mill in Styal. In spring it is transformed by the pure white bracts that appear on it. It is called the handkerchief tree because of the unusual flower like bracts that resemble handkerchiefs. The white bracts are truly beautiful fluttering in the breeze. They grow up to 15cm in length and hold a small round flower in the centre.
The tree was discovered in China by the French explorer Pere Armand David in 1869 and introduced to Europe in 1904 by young botanist Ernest Wilson. Wilson was commissioned by nurserymen to bring seeds back to England. He had quite an adventure before he managed to send any seeds to England. He was attacked by local bandits, caught a life threatening illness and nearly drowned when his boat capsized on a river.
The seeds of this rare tree are very slow to germinate. It can take up to two years for any sign of life to appear and a further eight years before the plant might begin to flower. Due to the population growth in China the tree’s natural habitat has gradually decreased and it is now an endangered species. The Chinese government has made it a protected plant.