- Home
- Popular Categories
- All Plants currently in stock
- Gift Vouchers
- Trees & Shrubs
- Abelia
- Abeliophyllum
- Acer
- Acradenia
- Aesculus
- Ageratina
- Alnus
- Amelanchier
- Amelasorbus
- Amorpha
- Aralia
- Arbutus
- Aronia
- Asimina
- Atherosperma
- Aucuba
- Berberis
- Betula
- Brachyglottis
- Buddleja
- Buxus
- Callicarpa
- Calycanthus
- Camellia
- Caragana
- Carpinus
- Carya
- Caryopteris
- Catalpa
- Ceanothus
- Celtis
- Cephalanthus
- Ceratostigma
- Cercidiphyllum
- Cercis
- Chaenomeles
- Chimonanthus
- Chionanthus
- Chitalpa
- Choisya
- Cistus
- Cladrastis
- Clerodendrum
- Clethra
- Cleyera
- Colquhounia
- Coprosma
- Cornus
- Correa
- Corylopsis
- Corylus
- Cotinus
- Cotoneaster
- Crataegus
- Crinodendron
- Cytisus
- Daphne
- Davidia
- Decaisnea
- Desfontainia
- Deutzia
- Dichroa
- Diervilla
- Dipelta
- Dipteronia
- Disanthus
- Distylium
- Drimys
- Elaeagnus
- Eleutherococcus
- Embothrium
- Emmenopterys
- Enkianthus
- Escallonia
- Eucalyptus
- Eucryphia
- Euonymus
- Exochorda
- Fagus
- Fatsia
- Ficus
- Firmiana
- Forsythia
- Fothergilla
- Franklinia
- Fuchsia
- Gardenia
- Garrya
- Gaultheria
- Gleditsia
- Griselinia
- Gymnocladus
- Hakea
- Halesia
- Halimodendron
- Hamamelis
- Hebe
- Hedera
- Heptacodium
- Hibiscus
- Hippophae
- Hoheria
- Holodiscus
- Hovenia
- Hydrangea
- Hypericum
- Ilex
- Illicium
- Indigofera
- Itea
- Jasminum
- Juglans
- Kalopanax
- Koelreuteria
- Kolkwitzia
- Laburnum
- Laurus
- Lavandula
- Leptospermum
- Lespedeza
- Leucothoe
- Leycesteria
- Ligustrum
- Lindera
- Liquidambar
- Liriodendron
- Lonicera
- Luma
- Maackia
- Maclura
- Maddenia
- Magnolia
- Mahoberberis
- Mahonia
- Malus
- Melliodendron
- Metrosideros
- Mitraria
- Morus
- Myrtus
- Nandina
- Neillia
- Neoshirakia
- Nothofagus
- Nyssa
- Olearia
- Osmanthus
- Ostrya
- Oxydendrum
- Ozothamnus
- Pachysandra
- Paeonia
- Parrotia
- Parrotiopsis
- Paulownia
- Perovskia
- Phellodendron
- Philadelphus
- Phillyrea
- Phormium
- Photinia
- Phymosia
- Physocarpus
- Pieris
- Pistacia
- Pittosporum
- Platanus
- Platycrater
- Poliothyrsis
- Poncirus
- Populus
- Potentilla
- Prunus
- Pseudocydonia
- Pseudopanax
- Pseudowintera
- Ptelea
- Pterocarya
- Pterostyrax
- Pyracantha
- Pyrus
- Quercus
- Rehderodendron
- Rhamnus
- Rhaphiolepis
- Rhododendron
- Rhus
- Ribes
- Robinia
- Rostrinucula
- Rubus
- Ruscus
- Salix
- Sambucus
- Sapium
- Sarcococca
- Sassafras
- Sinocalycanthus
- Sinojackia
- Skimmia
- Sophora
- Sorbaria
- Sorbus
- Spiraea
- Stachyurus
- Staphylea
- Stephanandra
- Stewartia
- Styrax
- Sycoparrotia
- Sycopsis
- Syringa
- Tamarix
- Tetracentron
- Tetradium
- Tilia
- Toona
- Trachycarpus
- Trochodendron
- Ugni
- Ulmus
- Vaccinium
- Viburnum
- Vinca
- Vitex
- Weigela
- Xanthoceras
- Zanthoxylum
- Zelkova
- Zenobia
- Conifers
- Climbers
- Herbaceous
- Acanthus
- Achillea
- Actaea
- Aegopodium
- Agapanthus
- Ajuga
- Alchemilla
- Anchusa
- Anemone
- Aralia
- Artemisia
- Arum
- Aster
- Astrantia
- Bergenia
- Brunnera
- Campanula
- Centaurea
- Cephalaria
- Crocosmia
- Dicentra
- Dierama
- Diplarrena
- Disporum
- Echinacea
- Epimedium
- Eryngium
- Eupatorium
- Euphorbia
- Galega
- Geranium
- Geum
- Helenium
- Helianthus
- Helleborus
- Hemerocallis
- Hemiboea
- Heuchera
- Hosta
- Inula
- Iris
- Kirengeshoma
- Kniphofia
- Lamium
- Libertia
- Ligularia
- Lysimachia
- Lythrum
- Monarda
- Nepeta
- Paeonia
- Penstemon
- Persicaria
- Phygelius
- Physalis
- Polemonium
- Pulmonaria
- Rodgersia
- Rudbeckia
- Scopolia
- Sedum
- Symphytum
- Thalictrum
- Tiarella
- Tricyrtis
- Verbena
- Veronica
- Veronicastrum
- Ferns
- Grasses
- Plant Finder (Filter Plants by size, features, etc)
- About us
- About our Gardens
- Delivery
- Address & Opening Times
-
MenuBack
-
Trees & Shrubs
-
-
Conifers
-
-
Climbers
-
-
Herbaceous
-
-
Ferns
-
-
-
-
-
2-1
-
-
-
Grasses
-
- Gift Vouchers
-
Popular Categories
-
Autumn Offer - 10% off plants on website orders over £30 & extra £10 off orders over £75
Autumn Offer - 10% off plants on website orders over £30 & extra £10 off orders over £75
Davidia involucrata
(Pocket Handkerchief Tree) A lovely tree native to South-west China, Davidia involucrata has masses of glorious, white flower bracts in May and June (up to 15 cm long) on mature specimens.
These beautiful flower bracts dance on wind, looking like fluttering handkerchiefs or doves and are followed by large green fruit later in the year. The leaves are oval and bright green, sometimes turning shades of plum purple before falling in autumn.
One of the most spectacular flowering garden trees once established!
(For any number of plants sent by courier)
Standard: £6.95 | Priority: £15 | Click & Collect |
*Surcharges apply for delivery to Highlands & Islands.
(For any number of plants sent by courier)
Standard: £6.95
Shipped within 2-3 working days
Priority: £15
Shipped ASAP
Click & Collect: free
+5% discount
*Surcharges apply for delivery to Highlands & Islands.
- Position: Full sun or light, dappled shade.
- Soil: Well drained, fertile soil.
- Hardiness: Hardy.
- Flowering Period: May - June
- Flower Colour: White (bracts)
- Rate of Growth: Moderate.
- Habit: Davidia involucrata grows to be a medium sized tree with a branching, rounded crown.
- Height: up to 12 - 15 m (40 - 50 ft).
- Spread: 10 m (32 ft).
- Notes: Davidia involucrata can take a long time to flower: 8 - 20 years is considered typical.
Further Information
Davidia involucrata was discovered by the French missionary, Pere David in 1869. He sent seeds back to Paris and were they promptly preserved in formaldehyde! Thirty five years later it was introduced to Britain in 1904 by Ernest Wilson of Chipping Camden.
The seeds which Wilson sent back to Veitch's nursery were promptly sown and, when after two years they hadn't germinated, were discarded onto a compost heap where they germinated the following spring! Interestingly each seed is capable of producing four seedlings which accounts for plants in the wild often being multi stemmed.
Famous for not flowering as young plants, you may expect flower bracts after fifteen years or so but occasional plants will flower when they are only eight years old.
Perfectly hardy, Davidia appreciate some shelter from the strongest winds and are quite happy in almost all fertile soils. In most parts of the UK it is a medium sized tree but can be quite tall in warm gardens in the south.
Extract from an information poster in our arboretum
- How Much Sun
- Full Sun, Light Shade
- Eventual Size
- Tree - Medium (8m - 15m)
- Growing Conditions
- Soil: Not Fussy, Soil: Damp/Wet, Soil: Acid, Soil: Alkaline
- Special Features
- Flowers in Summer, Rare and Unusual