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Trees

Davidia involucrata 'Sonoma'

handkerchief tree 'Sonoma'

A deciduous, conical tree to 15m tall with broadly ovate, sharply-pointed, red-stalked, mid-green leaves. Selected for its ability to produce the small, dark green flowers from a very young age, sometimes after only two or three years, and these are held within noticeably long, large, creamy-white bracts during late spring, followed by small, ovoid fruits

Synonyms

Davidia involucrata 'S.H.N.'

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Ultimate height

Higher than 12 metres

Time to ultimate height

20–50 years

Ultimate spread

Wider than 8 metres

Chalk

Clay

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained, Well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun
Partial shade

Aspect

East–facing or North–facing or South–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Nyssaceae
Native to the UK: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Spreading branched
Genus: Davidia is a medium-sized, deciduous tree with ovate leaves and small, dark green flower-clusters each subtended by two large white bracts and followed by ovoid greenish-brown fruits
Name status: Accepted

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in fertile moist but well-drained soil in a sheltered position in sun or partial shade

Propagation

Propagate by hardwood cuttings in winter

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Architectural
Cottage and informal garden

Pruning

Pruning group 1

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

Generally disease-free

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