Halesia diptera

Halesia diptera, the two-wing silverbell or two-winged snowdrop tree, is a species in the family Styracaceae, native to the southeastern United States from South Carolina and Florida west to eastern Texas.^[2] It is cultivated as an ornamental tree.

Two-wing silverbell
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Ericales
Family:	Styracaceae
Genus:	Halesia
Species:	H. diptera
Binomial name
Halesia diptera J.Ellis

Description

It is a large shrub or small tree reaching 4–8 m tall. The leaves are deciduous, 6–12 cm long and 4–7 cm broad. The flowers are white, 2-2.5 cm long, produced in clusters of 3–6 together. The fruit is a dry (non-fleshy) drupe with two wings down the sides; this distinguishes it from the other species of Halesia, which have four wings on the fruit.^[3]

Wildlife, including squirrels, eat the unripe sour green fruit.^[4]

Varieties

There are two varieties:^[2]

• Halesia diptera var. diptera
• Halesia diptera var. magniflora R.K.Godfrey

Mature tree in flower