Tree of the Month - Mountain Silverbell

Posted on: 24 April 2024

This month we are bringing you one of our newly planted trees in the Physics Lawn, Halesia monticola, commonly known as the Mountain Silverbell or Snowdrop Tree. You’ll find this tree opposite the Loyola Institute, where it was planted to replace the failing Prunus, which is scheduled for removal this year.

This tree originates from the eastern side of the United States, specifically the Appalachian Mountains of Tennessee, North Carolina and Georgia and is from the family Styracaceae The species name monticola means ‘mountain dweller’ in Latin. Halesia monticola can live for up to 100 years in the right environment, can grow to 20 m in height and store up to 400 kg of carbon dioxide. Our tree currently measures 8.4 m in height with a girth of 0.255 m, storing 8.5 kg of carbon dioxide.

The Snowdrop tree produces ample clusters of pendulous, or bell-shaped flowers resembling snowdrops which are approximately 2.5 cm in diameter and appear in the largest numbers in Spring when new leaves are also emerging. Once flowering is finished, the tree starts producing striking, green-winged capsules which turn brown and stay on the tree for a long time.

It makes an excellent parkland tree and is an ecologically valuable species, as it produces an early pollen source for butterflies and bees which can often be found buzzing in the flowers. It has deeply penetrating roots which are extremely hard, as is its timber; however this tree is intolerant of any close paving around its roots. While our tree is planted next to a road, the adjacent lawn provides ample space for its roots to grow. The tree is still in flower so pop down to the Physics Lawn and check it out.

Credit to John Parnell, Michelle Murray and Stephen Waldren for providing this information and caring for our trees.

Media Contact:

Katie Byrne | Public Affairs and Communications | katie.s.byrne@tcd.ie | +353 1 896 4168