#23 - Dove Tree (Davidia involucrata)

After several mishaps, the famed British plant explorer Ernest H. Wilson collected seed from a Dove Tree over 100 years ago in China. In spring, a tree in bloom is a sight not to be missed. Pairs of large, creamy white bracts resembling handkerchiefs or dove tails flutter from the branches of this small tree. Be patient; it takes nearly 20 years before the first bracts appear.