When Does the Dove Tree Bloom? Latest Blooming Period Introduction
The dove tree is a relict plant left over from the Tertiary period of the Cenozoic era 10 million years ago. It is also known as the water pear, dove tree, and dove flower, among other names. It is a deciduous tree in the genus Davidia of the family Nyssaceae. Wild species grow only in southwestern Sichuan Province and central Hubei Province in China and surrounding areas, and it has been listed as a national first-class key protected wild plant. Now let us take a look at when the dove tree blooms!
When does the dove tree bloom?
The dove tree usually blooms in April. The dove tree blooms in late spring and early summer, with a blooming period lasting up to one month. The flowers are white, like little white doves, which is why it is also called the dove tree. From budding to full bloom and then to fading, the dove tree's flowers change color many times. The flowers of this tree bloom in succession, in a riot of colors, and because of this special spectacle it has earned the name “a tree of wondrous flowers”.
Growth habits of the dove tree
The dove tree likes to grow in moist evergreen broad-leaved and deciduous broad-leaved mixed forests at an altitude of 1500-2200 m. It mostly grows in shady, humid places and prefers neutral or slightly acidic soil rich in humus. It grows poorly in dry, windy places with direct sunlight, and is not tolerant of barren soil or drought. Seedlings grow slowly and prefer shade and moisture, while adult trees tend to prefer light. The soil in its distribution areas is mostly mountain yellow soil and mountain yellow-brown soil, with a pH of 4.5-6.0. The soil layer is relatively thick and is mostly slope deposits containing large amounts of gravel and debris, with sandstone, slate, and shale as the bedrock.
Distribution range of the dove tree
The dove tree is widely distributed in China. Wangjia Town in Gong County, known as the “hometown of the dove tree”, has one of the largest numbers of dove trees in the country. Others are distributed in Zhenping and Langao in southeastern Shaanxi; Shennongjia, Xingshan, Badong, Changyang, Lichuan, Enshi, Hefeng, and Wufeng from western to southwestern Hubei; Sangzhi, Dayong, Cili, Shimen, and Yongshun in northwestern Hunan; Songtao, Fanjing Mountain, Daozhen, Suiyang, Bijie, and Nayong from northeastern to northwestern Guizhou; Wushan in eastern Sichuan, Pingwu and Qingchuan in the north, and Wenchuan, Guanxian, Pengxian, Baoxing, Tianquan, Emei, Mabian, Ebian, Meigu, Leibo, and Junlian from western to southern Sichuan; Nanchuan in southern Chongqing; Qiaojia, Suijiang, Yongshan, Daguan, Yiliang, Weixin, Zhenxiong, and Zhaotong in northeastern Yunnan; and in the remote deep mountains and wild ridges of Liulong in Shidong Town, Huaiji County, Guangdong Province, among other places.
Protection level of the dove tree
The dove tree is a relict species of the Paleotropical flora of the Tertiary period of the Cenozoic era 60 million years ago. It is known as a “living plant fossil” and is a treasure among the country's 8 first-class key protected plants. Because its flower shape closely resembles a white dove spreading its wings to fly, Western botanists named it the “Chinese dove tree”. Due to forest felling and destruction and the digging up of wild seedlings for planting, its numbers are relatively small and its distribution range is increasingly shrinking. If protection measures are not taken, there is a risk of it being replaced by other broad-leaved tree species.