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Mountain Silverbell

Halesia tetraptera

Found in moist slopes, coves, creek-banks, bottomlands. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Northern Tier edition What its natural habitat tells you

57
Strong

Native to Virginia. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 100%

Height
Up to about 60 feet
Light
Partial shade, Full shade
Soil moisture
Dry to moist
Will it fit your yard?

At a glance

Life cycle
Perennial
Leaves
Deciduous
Bloom
March to May
Fruiting season
August to September

Not yet recorded · Spread

Recorded in 11 Virginia counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

1 of 3

Moist forests

Shortia beneath rhododendrons in mountain woodland
Regional / representative. Shown: Mountains of North and South Carolina; exact site not identified, a neighboring state.Shortia beneath rhododendrons in mountain woodland, Marian Ellis Rowan, 1901. Public domain. Source record.

Rich cove forests

Cove hardwood forest
Regional / representative. Shown: Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina and Tennessee; representative habitat composite, not a documented exact viewpoint, a neighboring state.Cove hardwood forest, Hynes, Robert 'Bob', by 2012. Public domain. Source record.

Floodplain and bottomland forests

Forests on low ground beside rivers and streams that flood from time to time.

All habitats

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Virginia. Shared habitat, not food. 133 animals.

All wildlife of Virginia

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

11CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including VA

Genus host records with ranges including VA · Halesia

  • Callosamia prometheaPromethea Silkmoth, Promethea Moth
  • Egira alternansAlternate Woodling
  • Herpetogramma pertextalisBold-Feathered Grass Moth
  • Herpetogramma thestealisZigzag Herpetogramma, Subtle-Feathered Grass Moth
  • Hyalophora cecropiaCecropia Silkmoth, Cecropia Moth
  • Lambdina fervidariaCurve-Lined Looper Moth
  • Melanolophia canadariaCanadian Melanolphia, Variable Redmarked Looper
  • Oedemasia concinnaRed-Humped Caterpillar, Red-Humped Appleworm
  • Plagodis fervidariaFervid Plagodis
  • Platypolia mactataAdorable Brocade, Prairie Quaker
Show all 11
  • Schizura ipomaeaeMorning-Glory Prominent, Checkered-Fringe Prominent
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
8BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Halesia

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
0Specialist beesPollen specialists
—BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Styracaceae
Soil pH
Acidic
Flower color
White
Fruit begins
August
Fruit ends
September

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope

Conservation status

Virginia rankS3S4
Global rankG5
VA statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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Check this plant against your county, sun and soil moisture. Conditions are checked in your browser.

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How to check your spot

Sources