Have you ever met a Handkerchief Tree? They are relatively rare trees and in May they produce a profusion of large white bracts which look exactly like freshly washed handkerchiefs.
The trees originate in China and were first discovered in 1869 by a French missionary/naturalist, Armand David. He found just a single tree way up in the mountains, harvested its seeds and sent them, dried, to Paris. Not to be outdone by the French, in the 1890s the noted plant collector, EH ‘Chinese’ Wilson was dispatched by the plant firm James Veitch and Son to find Armand David’s Handkerchief tree (now named the Davidia involucrata in his honour) and bring more seeds back to Europe. Wilson tracked down a second single tree that had been sighted some years previously – but arrived only to find that it had been cut down to build houses. Not deterred, he headed for the location of Armand David’s original sighting and was rewarded with not just one, but a whole grove of Handerkchief trees. After some further months of plant hunting he headed for home with his precious seeds – only to suffer shipwreck on the way. But, obviously a resourceful bloke, he managed to save not only himself but his Davidia specimens, the descendents of which are now to be found in major gardens across the UK. And one of them is in Kenwood.
I cannot find anything out about Kenwood’s tree on the English Heritage site but it is very substantial – very roughly I would estimate both a spread and a height of around 100 feet/30 metres. So even though it grows relatively fast, I suspect it may have been there knocking on 100 years. And it is looking truly magnificent, towering over the azaleas….
and shedding floaty white handkerchiefs like a demented laundry woman.
But, as you can see from this image – you can only see the azalea side of it! Two thirds of its magnificence is hidden behind the last few trees in the more recently planted lime avenue. And who ever planted the lime avenue was not thinking ahead to what would happen to the Handkerchief tree once the limes grew up!
I am not, obviously, suggesting that the avenue should be cut down. But, even if one could lose the two trees closest to the Handkerchief tree it would make a huge difference and you would be able to see its massive, many branched trunk and shopful of handkerchiefs which at the moment are hidden in this gloomy grove.
Please, English Heritage, have a think about it. Handkerchief trees are rare and amazing so it seems criminal that it should be hidden away behind lime trees which, while perfectly fine and good trees, are extremely common and nowhere near as interesting. And losing just two from the far end of the avenue would scarcely be noticeable…..
Shall I start a petition?
17th June – Update
Today I was gardening in the Hill Garden with Heath Hands and I discovered that there is not one, but there are two handkerchief trees in the border at the bottom of the long lawn below the pond in the Hill Garden.
I was telling Ash, the Head Gardener at the Hill Garden how cross I was about the lime trees blocking the Kenwood tree – and he put me firmly to rights! Apparently THE Davidia involucrata expert of all time visited all three trees fairly recently and he told Ash that it was actually fortunate that the Kenwood tree was so surrounded by other trees and bushes as they were protecting it from the elements. Quite important for Davidia involucrata in our climate. This guy reckoned that as a result the Kenwood tree was probably the largest in the UK.
So ignore me, English Heritage!! Well, I am sure they were anyhow. Although I am still sad that one cannot see the tree in its full glory, if the limes are actually protecting it, I guess they need to stay.
Ash also said that they were quite temperamental and that while this year his two trees, like the Kenwood one, had been completely covered in handkerchiefs, last year they put on a very poor showing with only a couple of dozen kerchiefs per tree. I don’t remember noticing the Kenwood one – maybe for the same reason. No fluttering white kerchiefs on offer.
Weeding the Heath
> Have you ever met a Handkerchief Tree?
Yes.
The first one i saw was at Batsford Arboretum, but it was not in May.
However, I saw one at Westonbirt Arboretum in May one year with lots of white bracts displayed.
I mention handkerchief trees, each by the name Davidia involucrata, in some of my writing.
Quote from
http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~ngo/euto0008.htm
‘Ah! Yes’ thinks Jane. This is the famous formal garden paved out in the pattern of the rete of an astrolabe with a specimen of Davidia Involucrata at each star point. The trees are still fairly small and so the formal garden looks very open. This should be magnificent in the future.
end quote
Quote from
http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~ngo/euto0009.htm
However, all those expensive trees are going to have to be simulated within something cheaper. The handkerchief effect is not present on younger trees so it won’t make any difference.”
“All of them?”
“Well, the one that gets planted in the movie can be a real one, but that’s the only real one they get. If they want to dig the other ones up later and replace them then that’s up to them. It’s not as if there’ll be any ecological damage. The simulated ones can be used to form a small wood at the edge of the theme park if they want to do so. They’re getting the other trees though.”
“What, the two horse chestnuts?”
“Yes, and the Dawn Redwoods.”
“Good.”
end quote
A later quote from the same page
“Look, this is all fanciful, I’m concerned with the bigger picture of the television movie.”
“You weren’t so concerned with the bigger picture not to get mean about those Davidia Involucrata trees.”
“Now hold on there!”
The meeting descends into roars of laughter. The chairperson looks somewhat embarrassed.
“Do people think that I was being mean about the trees?”
Silence.
“Alright, alright. They get the Davidia Involucrata trees, small ones mind! And the paving will have to be replaced with gravel for the time being.”
Laughter and happy jollity.
“Well, as long as you’re all happy about the trees, perhaps we had better break for tea and resume later. We’ve made good progress so far, but my big concern is still as to who will play Edith.”
end quote
Quote from
http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~ngo/localizable_sentences_the_second_novel_chapter_008.pdf
“Well, we can give it a try. …. But even if there are just two choices available each time
then the number of routes will quickly get large then enormous, it is like that idea of one
atom of gold for the first square on a chess board and two for the next square then four
for the next square and so on.”
“Ah, but some of the routes can join back together.”
“How do you mean?”
“Well, suppose that in some interactive story that there are two footpaths from one village
to another village. The reader might choose either route and on one route there are wild
flowers and on the other route there is a specimen of Davidia involucrata, near a stream,
so the experience is different depending on the route, yet the two routes join together at
the second village.”
“Ah.”
end quote
William Overington
Monday 6 June 2022
The first dove tree I ever saw was growing in the Los Angeles Arboretum. A handsome tree with cool flowers…and, an allergy-friendly tree, too for good measure!
Even better! Hadn’t realised that it was also allergy friendly. Aren’t they jsut wonderful trees!
I saw the Handkerchief tree at Kenwood House on Tuesday last. It was looking absolutely beautiful. However, it is clearly not 30 metres in height. More like 40ft to be more precise..