Right over the wooden sign that identifies the Ted and Mary Greig Rhododendron Garden on the West End side of Lost Lagoon in Stanley Park, there is a tree (blossoming now) that has captured my imagination and curiousity. It is about 25' high, has bright green leaves which are approx. 4-5" long, maybe 3" wide near the stem and tapering to a point, and are ribbed, if my memory serves. (I had no camera!). The large white flowers are made up of two large 'petals' which look like modified leaves (like a poinsettia?), but are thinner/finer in texture than the leaves, more fragile and somewhat larger. The upper white petal is the smaller and arches over the larger lower 'petal'; in the centre is an approx. 1" 'starburst'/open globe, which has many yellow tips at the end of short 'legs'. Can anyone tell me about this tree - where it comes from - where I might find one for my garden?
Davidia involucrata (link is to a cultivar, 'Sonoma') aka handkerchief tree or dove tree. Trees tend to have significant spread, so you'll need space for one -- should be findable from local nurseries, though.
As I noted on the linked to thread the originating nursery appears to call this 'SHN' and not 'Sonoma'. Since my previous comment I have been to Sonoma Horticultural Nursery and seen the (original?) tree there, it is surprisingly small in stature. I had thought larger bracts would come from a more robust than usual example of the species - instead the opposite is the case. I suppose propagules grafted onto seedling rootstocks of normal vigor may prove to grow larger than the parent tree in time. One I have been growing has been making pretty good progress, as far as it goes, despite demonstrating the early in life flowering habit (flower and fruit production by trees and shrubs takes energy away from overall growth).
Yes, but 'SHN' is not a valid cultivar name. It looks like they may have given up using SHN as well (from their most recent catalogue):
Thank you both. I am grateful for such immediate response to my question. I will go this week to photograph the tree while it is still in bloom. And continue some research into it's history.
Yes, it appears they have made a change. Last time I was there I saw only seedlings being offered, if the tree by the house is 70 years old then it is indeed a dwarf form. Jawbreaker cultivar names have been in use for years, in combination with attractive trademarked and patented selling names. What is the specific problem with 'SHN'?
Those Ex. 52 examples include some particularly lovely ones. Supposedly such obtuse cultivar names are often being coined in order to reinforce usage of much more appealing, memorable and easily pronounced trademarked and patented selling names. The problem is only the cultivar names are specific to the particular cultivar, while the selling names can be and sometimes are used more broadly. A common example of the confusion that can be produced is the 'Bailmer' hydrangea, sold by Bailey nursery using the Endless Summer (series) The Original registered trademark. Most people, including many vendors seem to think the name of the cultivar is 'Endless Summer' - perhaps because this was the first in what became an Endless Summer series of cultivars with their own distinct characteristics and cultivar names. [I found out later they called the one 'Endless Summer' at first and then went to using The Original ('Bailmer') subsequently]
