Halesia monticola
{{Short description|Species of tree}}
{{Speciesbox
|image = Halesia_tetraptera.jpg
|image_caption =
|genus = Halesia
|species = monticola
|synonyms =
- H. carolina var. monticola Rehder
- H. carolina subsp. monticola (Rehder) A.E.Murray
- H. tetraptera var. monticola (Rehder) Reveal & Seldin cf.
}}
Halesia (tetraptera var.) monticola, the mountain silverbell, is a species of flowering plant in the small family Styracaceae. This large deciduous shrub was originally included in H. carolina, but was identified first as a subspecies by Rehder in 1914 and then as a species by Sargent in 1921. More recently, some authoritative sources regard it only as a subspecies or variety,{{cite web|title=Halesia tetraptera var. monticola (Rehder) Reveal & Seldin|url=http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/record/kew-2838137|website=The Plant List (2013). Version 1.1|accessdate=16 September 2015}} while other authoritative sources regard it as a species, as it is treated here.{{cite web|url=http://www.ipni.org/ipni/simplePlantNameSearch.do;jsessionid=B3992E64ADB7A132C6BDA6F15E42A154?find_wholeName=halesia+monticola&output_format=normal&query_type=by_query&back_page=query_ipni.html |title=International Plant Names Index: Halesia monticola |publisher=International Plant Names Index |date= |accessdate=2012-12-31}}
Description
Halesia monticola is much larger than either the little silverbell or common silverbell (var. tetraptera) and is the largest member of the genus. It is known to grow 34 meters tall in the Great Smoky Mountains. Another important difference is that monticola has significantly larger flowers than either H. carolina or H. tetraptera.{{cite web|url=
http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/gardens-gardening/your-garden/plant-finder/plant-details/kc/d414/halesia-monticola.aspx |title=Missouri Botanical Garden: Halesia monticola |publisher=Missouri Botanical Garden |date= |accessdate=2012-12-31}}
Range
The silverbell tree grows mostly in the southern Appalachian Mountains and into southern Alabama and Georgia, with small outlying populations up to and barely north of the Ohio River, and along the Oklahoma-Arkansas border. It is apparently absent from Mississippi and Louisiana.{{cite book|first=Elbert L.|last=Little Jr.|title=Atlas of United States Trees|volume=4 (Minor Eastern Hardwoods)|year=1976|publisher=US Government Printing Office|lccn=79-653298|oclc=3703736|entry-url=https://archive.org/details/atlasofunitedsta1342litt/page/n115/mode/1up|entry=Map 58, Halesia carolina}} In the cited reference, this species is referred to as Halesia carolina.
Cultivation
The mountain silverbell is cultivated in many places around the world. Although it may be difficult to transplant, once established, it is easy to grow. It blooms while still quite small, only about 4 meters tall.{{cite web|url=http://hort.ufl.edu/database/documents/pdf/tree_fact_sheets/halmona.pdf |title=US Forest Service Fact Sheet ST-291 |publisher=United States Forest Service |date= |accessdate=2012-12-31}}