four wings

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The Carolina silverbell is one of those somewhat hard to find trees that grow in our area. The name comes from their home range — although they can be located in a few more places other than just the Carolinas — and their clustered blossoms that dangle from the branches like pearly white bells in the spring.

Carolina silverbells are often found growing deep in the Smoky Mountain "hollars" around my hometown, Gatlinburg.

This time of the year, the silverbell produces a “four-winged” fruit that is unique, often compared to a deflated punching bag. The unusual design begs the question, “Why four wings?” It must somehow help with seed dispersal. Since the trees are often found near a waterway (as was the one I photographed along the shoreline of the Tennessee River) I suspect the four wings help the fruit float downstream to a new home. But that’s only a guess.

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