Wildflowers of the United States

Home Journal Family Index - All States Photo Albums News About Privacy

Mountain Silverbell, Carolina Silverbell, 4-wing Silverbell - Halesia tetraptera


Family: Styracaceae - Storax family Genus Common Name: Silverbell Native Status: Native
Halesia tetraptera - Mountain Silverbell, Carolina Silverbell, 4-wing Silverbell. Halesia tetraptera is a tree with white bell-shaped flowers that persist for about a week in the springtime. Depending on your choice of authority, there are two or three species of Halesia. H. tetraptera, H. carolina, and H. diptera are recognized by the USDA and , but most authorities seem to now classify what was H. Carolina as a subspecies of H. tetraptera. H. diptera, according to an article at Virginia Tech, is not a mountain species and is not found in North Georgia.

I'm breaking with my normal stance of considering ITIS to be authoritative on the valid classification because the following (and others) have chosen to classify H. carolina as a synonym of H. tetraptera.
  • Vanderbilt University
  • NC State University
  • Ohio State University
  • Virginia Tech
  • Richard Ware of the Georgia Botanical Society


H. tetraptera var tetraptera is a smaller tree to 35'. H. tetraptera var monticola can be over 100'. The tree we photographed was a small tree, but since it was clearly a young tree, the height was not indicative of the particular subspecies.

Leave comments on Halesia tetraptera at this link.
Halesia tetraptera

Distribution of Halesia tetraptera in the United States and Canada:
Map unavailable.
Map courtesy of The Biota of North America Program.
Map color key

Search Our Database: Enter any portion of the Scientific, Common Name, or both.
Scientific name:
Common name:

Example: Enter "lob" in the common name field and you'll get all our species that have "lobelia" in the common name, as well as "sharp-lobed hepatica".

Do a general Google search of the entire site:


#ad

Follow on Twitter
Follow USWildflowers on Twitter



Site: Tallulah River Gorge, Rabun County, GA Date: 2010-April-30Photographer: Gerald C. Williamson f/5.6 ISO320
Silverbells, be it known by the Carolina or Mountain names, are named for the clusters of bell-shaped blossoms that form in mid-spring and last for about a week.
Halesia tetraptera
Site: Tallulah River Gorge, Rabun County, GA Date: 2010-April-30Photographer: Gerald C Williamson
Nikon D60
1/125f/5.6 ISO200
Nikon Nikkor AF-S 55-200mm 4-5.6G ED
60mm (90 equiv)
Halesia tetraptera leaves are alternating, serrated, dark green above and lighter green beneath, often hairy underneath, especially while young.
Click on the photo for a larger image
Halesia tetraptera
#ad
Halesia tetraptera initially published on USWildflowers.com 2010-05-20; Updated 2015-06-25

Commercial / Cookie Notice

Looking for Wildflowers for a specific state? Check here:



All content except USDA Plants Database map Copyright Gerald C. Williamson 2024
Photographs Copyright owned by the named photographer



Code Update 20230302