• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Carol J. Michel

Award winner author of gardening humor books

  • About
    • Contact
  • Blog
  • Books
    • Shop
    • Gardening Humor
    • Children’s Books
    • New – The Halloween Hare
  • Speaking
    • Upcoming Speaking Engagements
  • Social
    • YouTube
    • Instagram
  • Gardening Humor
  • Children’s
  • All Books

May Dreams Gardens

Wildflower Wednesday: Carolina Silverbell

April 23, 2015 By Carol Michel 6 Comments

Carolina Silverbell Blooms

I’m not sure if the Carolina Silverbell tree in my garden is a testament to my laziness or to my stubbornness.

Probably a little of both.

It’s a pretty little tree, or could be under the right growing conditions.  It has a unique bloom which looks like a little pink bell.  In the top picture, the bells are just beginning to open.

In the fall, each bell shaped flower will produce a seed bearing vessel called a dry drupe.

This is the second Carolina Silverbell, Halesia carolina, I’ve tried to grow in my garden.  The first one sort of ended up in the wrong place after I redid the garden layout with the help of a garden designer.

It languished for a couple of years and then I put it out of its misery.

This second tree isn’t doing much better.  It has been through two winters in my garden so far. After its first winter, the top of the tree died off. Some people with a little more sense might have cut it back to the ground at that point.  I cut out just what died back and decided to see how it grew.

This spring it isn’t looking much better.

It’s hard to see in the picture, but a couple more branches didn’t make it through the winter. Though, I must say, the branches that did make it have a lot of blooms on them.

How is this a testament to my laziness?  Well, this tree isn’t thriving, it’s mostly surviving. I should take it out and plant something more suitable in its place.  Perhaps another dogwood, Cornus florida, which is a tree Gail of Clay and Limestone is highlighting this month as our hostess for Wildflower Wednesday?  Or maybe something else? Instead, I’m leaving it.

How is this tree a testament to my stubbornness?  I’m not yet willing to give up on the idea of having a thriving, gloriously blooming Carolina Silverbell in my garden.  I’m just not giving up. I’m going to give this one some tender loving care and see if that helps it snap out of its funk, or whatever it is in.

We’ll see how it goes. I’ll make a final decision this fall, in time to replace it with another, better, choice for my garden, if that is the decision.

There is much to ponder in the springtime garden, but today, as you can see, we are pondering wildflowers, native blooms, today.  Go visit Gail of Clay and Limestone to see who else is writing about wildflowers today.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: trees, wildflower wednesday

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kathy says

    April 23, 2015 at 2:56 am

    It takes a while for some plants, especially trees and shrubs, to get established. I think you are wise to give it more time.

    Reply
  2. Covegirl says

    April 23, 2015 at 12:26 pm

    I would probably do the same. Good Luck!

    Reply
  3. Lisa at Greenbow says

    April 23, 2015 at 1:03 pm

    I wouldn't give up on it either. These last two years have played havoc with several things in my garden. Your Silver bell hasn't been in the ground long enough to give up on it. Sweet little bells.

    Reply
  4. GrannyRockStar says

    April 23, 2015 at 2:50 pm

    Missouri Botanical Garden says it likes moist acidic soil and grows well with rhododendrons and azaleas. You might try acidifying the soil a bit. It's a sweet little tree.

    Reply
  5. Dee Nash says

    April 23, 2015 at 6:13 pm

    I'd add some sulphur to the soil and put some acidified mulch on it. I bet it would do better. ~~Dee

    Reply
  6. Unknown says

    April 24, 2015 at 2:31 am

    I find that plants I've given up on get establish years later and do well. Not all of them (e.g., blueberries) but certainly many perennials/shrubs/trees. You can give them loose soil and the acidity they prefer for quicker results or just wait a few years and it may become unstoppable. Patience is the gardeners' necessity. Good luck!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Updates from Carol Michel

* indicates required
Email Preferences

Categories

  • Blog (3,048)
  • Internal (2)

Blog Tags

annuals Blogging books bulbs dr. hortfreud embrace fairies fall family flowers fruits garden bloggers bloom day garden bloggers book club garden design gardeners gardening gardening geek gardens hoes holidays hortense hoelove houseplants humor indoor gardening insects lawn letters to gardening friends perennials rabbits reviews Secrets seeds shrubs spring tools trees vegetable garden vegetable gardening vegetables weather weeding weeds when a gardener wildflower wednesday winter

The Gardenangelists Podcast with Dee Nash

Gardenangelists Podcast

Footer

Gardenangelists Podcast with Dee Nash

Gardenangelists Podcast

Connect

  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • maydreams icon

Quick Links

  • Home
  • Contact
  • Books
  • May Dreams Gardens
  • Podcast

Updates from Carol Michel

* indicates required
Email Preferences

Newsletter Archive

Copyright © 2023 · CarolJMichel.com · Sitemap · Privacy Policy

Book purchase links are affiliate links and Carol earns a small commission if you make a purchase.

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Do not sell my personal information.
Cookie SettingsAccept
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT