When does the dove tree generally bloom?

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 and the dove tree, and its flowers as dove flowers. It is a deciduous tree of the genus Davidia in 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. Let us take a look below at when the dove tree blooms!

When does the dove tree bloom?

The dove tree usually blooms in April. The dove tree blooms at the turn of late spring and early summer, and the flowering period lasts as long as one month. The flowers are white, like white doves, which is why it is also called the dove tree. From budding to full bloom and then to withering, the dove tree's flowers change color many times. This tree's flowers bloom one after another in a riot of color, and because of this special spectacle it has earned the name “a tree of wondrous flowers”.

The 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 fragments, with sandstone, slate and shale as the bedrock.

The 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 a large number of dove trees nationwide. 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 the west to the south; Nanchuan in southern Chongqing; Qiaojia, Suijiang, Yongshan, Daguan, Yiliang, Weixin, Zhenxiong and Zhaotong in northeastern Yunnan; and in the remote mountains and wild ridges of Liulong in Shidong Town, Huaiji County, Guangdong Province, among other places.

The protection level of the dove tree

The dove tree is a relict species of the ancient tropical 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 logging and destruction of forests 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 that it will be replaced by other broad-leaved tree species.