Why plant Carolina Silverbell?
"Be there with bells on" is this tree's theme! When the world begins to green up, lilacs are blooming, and robins are laying their eggs, Carolina Silverbell adds its own flourish to the spring festivities. Each spring, this spectacular tree will "chime in" with clusters of white, bell-shaped flowers that line the branches. Look up and enjoy this underused native tree's pearly white blossoms, which are suspended from every branch like little parasols. Wonderful yellow foliage will delight you in the fall. A very giving tree that can easily be introduced to your landscape design.
Silverbell is native to much of the Southeastern U.S. and was known to English colonists before the U.S. was the U.S. So, it’s not surprising that the tree was named by an Englishman for another Englishman. London merchant John Ellis suggested the name Halesia for his friend Stephen Hales. Hales was a clergyman, botanist, biologist, philosopher, chemist, and physiologist. Some of his most important work was done designing ventilators for dank, unhealthy places like ships. Keep in mind this was in the early 1700s—oxygen had not been “discovered” yet!
How to use Carolina Silverbell in the landscape?
A cozy sitting area under its branches will become a magical space in your landscape each spring, and in summer its dappled shade will make the seat below it a favorite place to sip a cold lemonade and unwind. Plant this medium-sized ornamental tree against a background of large evergreens like Norway Spruce or Hemlock to help the dainty white flowers achieve maximum impact. The low-branching habit makes the Carolina Silverbell a great candidate for a lawn or specimen tree in your garden. Considered a small tree, this beauty will make an excellent addition if planted by your deck or patio.
Planting Zones
Hardiness Zone: 4-8
How To Plant Carolina Silverbell
Carolina Silverbell is a beautiful tree and one that should be planted more often. For starters, it has awesome exfoliating bark that supplies you with visual interest throughout the year. The clusters of white bell-shaped flowers aren’t too shabby either. They like sunny locations and do well in your everyday well-drained soil. Another bonus, Carolina Silverbells don’t have any major pest problems.
How To Water
When newly planted, it is best to give your tree a fresh watering; do so deeply, slowly, and thoroughly. This will help encourage the roots to work their way into the surrounding soil. In the first planting season, water every two to three days to be sure your tree is receiving a sufficient amount of water. As it becomes established, it becomes more drought-tolerant, however, be sure to give it a drink now and then to help it out!
How To Fertilize
When planting, we recommend using Bower & Branch Starter Plant Food. For ongoing care, applying a medium rate fertilizer once a year during the fall season will be beneficial. The fertilizer only needs to be applied for the first 3 years or so and it provides essential nutrients needed to produce lush new growth for the following growing season.
How To Prune
Carolina Silverbells are fast growers, so prune when needed to keep it in tip-top shape. Prune out any damaged or dying branches, as well as those that are criss-crossed; this will open up the branching habit.
How Does Shipping Work?
Bower & Branch Trees, the real BIG trees, don’t fit in a box! Our big trees, sizes XL and bigger, require expert delivery and care, that means our extra-large trees are shipped on Bower & Branch trucks. We are the only ones who know how to ship our big and bigger trees and plants with tender loving care. We deliver your trees and plants directly to you. Ask Bower & Branch about planting services – we'd be happy to assist in installation.
*For Big trees and Shrubs, Size XL and bigger: Review our Seasonal Shipping Timelines and Policy here.
Your trees and plants are grown across the United States at various Bower & Branch Growers. Depending on your location, your plant orders may be shipped from various locations. Please expect orders with multiple items to be delivered over a number of days as a result. Orders made up of numerous items or selections will not arrive at your home on the same day.
Shipping Delays:
From time to time, Bower & Branch Growers may determine to delay order shipment based on various factors for plant health. Weather in your region, as well as, where your plants are grown, is always considered when shipping. Extreme weather conditions may delay some or all of your order. Bower & Branch allows our Growers to make final shipping decisions based solely to benefit your trees and plants’ health and success.
How Does Sizing Work?
The size of our trees have nothing to do with the container size like you may find elsewhere–big doesn't mean just height - it’s also vigor, age, and overall health. Other online retailers are going to tell you that a plant is a seven gallon, that means nothing to your tree or plant (or you.)
Our trees for sale online are graded on large, x-large, and even bigger sizes. This is because our trees are sized by their age—the higher the letter, the more mature the tree. The age determines the trees’ overall height, size of the trunk and the overall branch density.
All of these characteristics are what you should be looking for when choosing a tree for immediate impact and instant curb appeal. Our extra-large tree and plant sizes are sure to wow you and your neighbors!
See the size guides below.
Our Guarantees
3-YEAR-TREE GUARANTEE:
Bower & Branch offers a Three-Year Tree Guarantee on all of our trees, sizes X-Large and up. Only the finest and the most experienced growers are awarded the opportunity to grow for Bower & Branch, so we offer the best guarantee available.
If your tree(s) should fail for any reason during the three-year guarantee period, you will receive an online gift card in the amount that you originally spent on the tree.* You can then use this online gift card for any Bower & Branch Purchase.
* Bower & Branch provides online gift cards in the amount of the original purchase price of the tree(s). The amount does not include any additional costs such as delivery, planting, tax, or any other products or services. Online gift cards can be applied towards any Bower & Branch purchase on BowerandBranch.com and have no expiration dates. Bower & Branch does not guarantee tree replacement or availability of any desired product at any time. Cash refunds are not offered. Bower & Branch requires that all original tags and receipts are present when a guarantee request is initiated. The Bower & Branch Three-Year Guarantee only applies to plant material that has been planted in the ground. Container plantings are NOT covered.
At Bower & Branch, we do our best to honor all guarantee fulfillment requests to ensure customer satisfaction. However, we reserve the right to refuse the request if the required guarantee steps were not satisfied. Bower & Branch also reserves the right to deny any guarantee fulfillment request that is made as a result of animal damage, problems with plant hardiness and zone issues, or acts of nature (snow storms, hurricanes, and similar).
Reach out to a Plant Whisperer with any questions:
- Email: plantwhisperers@bowerandbranch.com
- Phone: 866-873-3888
- Or via Online Chat