Mountain Silverbell is a large tree common at higher elevations in the southwestern quarter of North Carolina, especially in and near the Great Smoky Mountains. In certain areas it is the dominant tree species.
Haywood Co., NC 5/9/08.
Two varieties of Halesia tetraptera exist, Halesia tetraptera var. tetraptera (Common Silverbell), which is a shrub or small tree mostly found along streams in the Mountains and Piedmont, and var. monticola (Rehder) Reveal & Seldin (Mountain Silverbell), which is a large tree of cove forests in the higher Mountains.
Haywood Co., NC 5/10/08.
Flower size also differs between the two varieties: var. tetraptera has smaller flowers (petals <2 cm long) with the style excerted; var. monticola has larger flowers (petals 2-3 cm long) with the style included.
Haywood Co., NC 5/10/08.
Since Halesia is named for a Mr. Hales, it should be pronounced Heylz'-ee-ah, though Huh-lee'-zee-ah is more commonly heard.
Halesia tetraptera is the only species of Halesia in NC; this species has been confused with H. carolina in older floras, such as Radford et al.
Haywood Co., NC 5/10/08.
