Halesia carolina L.

Little Silverbell; Small Flower Silverbell

Tree

Perennial

Vascular

Little Silverbell is a native, deciduous tree in the Storax family (Styraceae). It can be found throughout most of Alabama. Little Silverbell occurs on floodplains, on river and creek banks, and in low woods. It is a small tree reaching heights of 15-20 feet. The bark is dark gray in color and distinctly striated. Leaves are alternate, petiolate, elliptic to oblong or lanceolate in outline, with finely toothed margins. The leaves are slightly pubescent to glabrous above and pubescent below (at least along the major veins). The leaves turn yellow before falling in the autumn. The flowers are solitary or in 2-6 flowered fascicles on the previous seasons wood. The flowers are bell-shaped and drooping. The flowers have 4 white petals that are fused for 1/2-2/3 of their length. The style is long exserted and the anthers are at the mouth of the corolla or slightly exserted. The fruit is dry with 4 corky ridges. The fruit is club-shaped and broadest near its end. Little Silverbell is listed as a S2 species in Alabama (typically 6 to 20 occurrences, few remaining individuals, acres, or miles of stream, or factors demonstrably making it very vulnerable in the state), and Globally as a G4G5 species. Little Silverbell is sometimes lumped with Common Silverbell (Halesia tetraptera J. Ellis), or treated as a variety of that species. It differs in the shape of its fruit, the size of its flowers, and in having the style strongly exserted. Little Silverbell is sometimes available from native plant nurseries. It prefers a semi-shaded location with moist, organic rich soil.--A. Diamond

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Native FACU+ (NWPL) S2 (State Rank) G4G5 (Global Rank)

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