34. Dove Tree

Specimen Size: 49.4ft tall, 9.25in in diameter.

Location: South of the Communications Building on the Northern side of the decorative garden circle, beside a common hazelnut which grows together with it.

Historical Background: This unusual tree is a beautiful ornamental, which, like the dogwood, produces massive white bracts to go with their flowers, decorating the tree in showy white when it is in bloom. In spite of this, it is not as common in gardens and arboretums as one might think. This aside it has been spread across the world for use in gardens, and is particularly appealing due to its ability to resist frost and drought conditions, as well as a relatively long lifespan. The tree is considered by some to be endangered in its native range. Once thought to be a close associate of the Dogwood, it is now understood to belong to its own genus and is called a “fossil tree” due to its persistent traits which stretch back into the fossil record.

Non-native

Native Range: Southwestern China woodlands.

Identifying Features: This deciduous species grows to form a broad conical crown which becomes more rounded with age. A relatively small tree, it seldom exceeds a height of 40’ (12m), and prefers to be shaded. Leaves are alternate and bright green, reminiscent of the dogwood, with serrated margins. Also like the dogwood, it produces large showy bracts surrounding the flowers which are clustered into a ball which give rise to a small drupe shaped like a miniature pumpkin.

Identifying Features In Depth:

1. Form: A broad tree with a conical crown that rounds with age. Grows to about 40’ (12m) in height.

2. Leaves: Bright green in color, alternate, deciduous, lighter beneath, with pinnate venation and serrated margins. They are ovate to cordate (heart shaped) and 2-6” (5-15cm) long. The petiole is generally pinkish reddish color, and the underside has a light white fuzz. The secondary veins are not as parallel to the leaf edge as those in dogwoods are.

3. Bark: Smooth, a light gray brown color. Inner bark is a purplish color. The bark becomes browner and more scaly with age.

4. Reproductive Bodies: Flowers appear in May and are shaped into a ball. They are red anthered and packed tightly together. Two large white bracts very much like a handkerchief surround this hanging cluster and are known to shake in the slightest breeze, giving the impression that the tree is full of doves taking flight. Fruit is a drupe, round and hanging from a long stem 2-3” (5-7.5cm) in length. Often it will have ridges on it making it appear as a golf ball sized green pumpkin. These turn speckled and reddish brown later in fall. Inside is a single hard nut with numerous seeds.