Flowering tree

Carolina silverbell

Halesia carolina

Carolina silverbell (Halesia carolina) is a tree in the Styracaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly March–May across the U.S.

🌷 Flowering treeNative in the lower 48

Carolina silverbell is a popular flowering tree. It's on our flower lists for 26 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in March–May.

6states where USDA records it

26Bloomipedia state lists include it

536U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 23, 2026. Our state lists also include states where people grow it in gardens, so they can outnumber USDA's wild-plant records. Planted garden trees are mostly excluded from research grade.

On our lists for: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, Washington

Quick look

Halesia carolina, commonly called Carolina silverbells or little silverbells, is a species of flowering plant in the family Styracaceae, native to the southeastern United States.
From Wikipedia's article Halesia carolina, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Styracaceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as a shrub / a tree with a perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 6 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as white. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as mid spring. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 30 ft. ^{USDA PLANTS}
iNaturalist has 117 research-grade sightings of it in Georgia, ranking #117 among the 183 flowers on our Georgia list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 63 research-grade sightings of it in New York, ranking #132 among the 193 flowers on our New York list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 62 research-grade sightings of it in Florida, ranking #113 among the 151 flowers on our Florida list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (52 records)

Bloom time in the 26 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Georgia	🌷 Garden	few records (9)	117
New York	🌷 Garden	few records (7)	63
Florida	🌷 Garden	few records (9)	62
North Carolina	🌷 Garden	few records (6)	55
Pennsylvania	🌷 Garden	few records (4)	43
Tennessee	🌷 Garden	few records (1)	42
South Carolina	🌷 Garden	few records (3)	34
Alabama	🌷 Garden	few records (1)	22
Massachusetts	🌷 Garden	few records (3)	16
Ohio	🌷 Garden	few records (1)	13
Illinois	🌷 Garden	no flowering records	9
New Jersey	🌷 Garden	few records (1)	8
Kentucky	🌷 Garden	no flowering records	7
Connecticut	🌷 Garden	few records (1)	5
Maryland	🌷 Garden	few records (1)	5
Louisiana	🌷 Garden	no flowering records	3
Michigan	🌷 Garden	no flowering records	3
Missouri	🌷 Garden	no flowering records	3
Virginia	🌷 Garden	few records (1)	3
Indiana	🌷 Garden	no flowering records	2
Vermont	🌷 Garden	no flowering records	1
Arkansas	🌷 Garden	no flowering records	0
Delaware	🌷 Garden	no flowering records	0
Oregon	🌷 Garden	no flowering records	0
Rhode Island	🌷 Garden	no flowering records	0
Washington	🌷 Garden	no flowering records	0

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA)

Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}

NatureServe global

G4 Apparently secure worldwide. ^NatureServe

State rare plant lists

Not listed Not on the official rare plant list in 19 of our 26 states.

See each state

Georgia: Not listed Not on Georgia protected plants (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 391-4-10-.09; a 2026 update is proposed). NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Georgia. ^{Ga. R. 391-4-10-.09}
New York: Not listed Not on New York protected native plants (6 NYCRR § 193.3). NatureServe has no New York rank for it. ^{6 NYCRR § 193.3}
Florida: Not listed Not on Florida Regulated Plant Index (Fla. Admin. Code 5B-40.0055). NatureServe: S3, vulnerable in Florida. ^{FAC 5B-40.0055}
North Carolina: Not listed Not on North Carolina Protected Plant Species List (02 NCAC 48F .0301). NatureServe has no North Carolina rank for it. ^{02 NCAC 48F .0301}
Pennsylvania: Not listed Not on Pennsylvania classified native plants (17 Pa. Code Ch. 45, Subchapter B, as amended 2023). NatureServe has no Pennsylvania rank for it. ^{17 Pa. Code Ch. 45}
Tennessee: Not listed Not on Tennessee endangered plants (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0400-06-02-.04, Rare Plant Protection and Conservation Act). NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Tennessee. ^{TN rule 0400-06-02-.04}
Massachusetts: Not listed Not on Massachusetts Endangered Species Act list (321 CMR 10.90). NatureServe has no Massachusetts rank for it. ^{MESA list}
Ohio: Not listed Not on Ohio endangered and threatened plants (Ohio Adm. Code 1501:18-1-03, eff. Dec. 26, 2024). NatureServe: SX, presumed extirpated in Ohio. ^{OAC 1501:18-1-03}
New Jersey: Not listed Not on New Jersey Endangered Plant Species List (N.J.A.C. 7:5C-5.1). NatureServe has no New Jersey rank for it. ^{N.J.A.C. 7:5C-5.1}
Kentucky: Not listed Not on Kentucky endangered and threatened plant lists (400 KAR 3:040, eff. 2026). NatureServe has no Kentucky rank for it. ^{400 KAR 3:040}
Connecticut: Not listed Not on Connecticut Endangered, Threatened and Special Concern Plants (RCSA 26-306; 2015 list). NatureServe has no Connecticut rank for it. ^{CT E/T/SC list}
Maryland: Not listed Not on Maryland threatened and endangered plants (COMAR 08.03.08.05, .06 and .08). NatureServe has no Maryland rank for it. ^{COMAR 08.03.08}
Michigan: Not listed Not on Michigan endangered and threatened plants (Mich. Admin. Code R 299.1028, eff. March 20, 2023). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Michigan. ^{R 299.1028}
Missouri: Not listed Not on Missouri Wildlife Code endangered species (3 CSR 10-4.111), plants. NatureServe has no Missouri rank for it. ^{3 CSR 10-4.111}
Virginia: Not listed Not on Virginia endangered and threatened plant and insect species (2VAC5-320-10). NatureServe has no Virginia rank for it. ^2VAC5-320-10
Vermont: Not listed Not on Endangered and Threatened Plants of Vermont (10 V.S.A. chap. 123; list of Feb 10, 2022). NatureServe has no Vermont rank for it. ^{Vermont E&T list}
Delaware: Not listed Not on Rare and Uncommon Plants of Delaware (DNREC, 2024; informational, Delaware has no state plant-protection list). NatureServe has no Delaware rank for it. ^{DE rare plants 2024}
Oregon: Not listed Not on Oregon endangered and threatened plants (OAR 603-073-0070). NatureServe has no Oregon rank for it. ^{OAR 603-073-0070}
Rhode Island: Not listed Not on Rhode Island Rare Plants 2016 (RI Natural History Survey, from the RI Wildlife Action Plan; informational, Rhode Island has no state plant-protection listing law). NatureServe has no Rhode Island rank for it. ^{RI rare plants 2016}

South Carolina

No list South Carolina has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's South Carolina ranks instead. NatureServe: S2, imperiled in South Carolina.

Alabama

No list Alabama has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Alabama ranks instead. NatureServe: S2, imperiled in Alabama.

Illinois

State endangered On Illinois List of Endangered and Threatened Flora (17 Ill. Adm. Code 1050), per the Endangered Species Protection Board's 2025 checklist: state endangered. NatureServe: S1, critically imperiled in Illinois. ^{IL E&T checklist 2025}

Louisiana

No list Louisiana has no state list of endangered or threatened plants separate from the federal list, so we show federal status and NatureServe's Louisiana ranks. NatureServe has no Louisiana rank for it.

Indiana

No list Indiana has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants (the DNR keeps a rare plant list, but it isn't regulatory), so we show NatureServe's Indiana ranks instead. NatureServe has no Indiana rank for it.

Arkansas

No list Arkansas has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Arkansas ranks instead. NatureServe has no Arkansas rank for it.

Washington

No list Washington has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants (the Washington Natural Heritage Program's rare plant list isn't regulatory), so we show NatureServe's Washington ranks instead. NatureServe has no Washington rank for it.

Rare elsewhere

Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: OK (S2). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

Checked October 23, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Please leave it where it grows

Please don't pick or dig this flower: it's on Illinois's rare plant list (state endangered); NatureServe ranks it S3 in Florida, S2 in South Carolina, S2 in Alabama and S1 in Illinois. ^{IL E&T checklist 2025 NatureServe}

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no edibility or poison notes on its page), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people. ^{NC State Extension}

For petsNon-toxic to dogs, cats and horses

ASPCA's entry “Silver Bell” (Halesia carolina) lists it as non-toxic to dogs, cats and horses. Eating lots of any plant can still upset a pet's stomach. ^ASPCA

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records Carolina silverbell in 6 states.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, New York, South Carolina.

Georgia counties with USDA records: Baker, Bartow, Bulloch, Carroll, Clarke, Cobb, Dawson, DeKalb, Early, Effingham, Elbert, Fannin, Floyd, Forsyth, Fulton, Gilmer, Gwinnett, Hall, Haralson, Harris, Hart, Jackson, Jenkins, Madison, Morgan, Murray, Oglethorpe, Rabun, Screven, Seminole, Stephens, Sumter, Tattnall, Taylor, Union, Upson, Walton, White, Wilkes, Worth.

New York counties with USDA records: Nassau.

Florida counties with USDA records: Bay, Calhoun, Citrus, Columbia, Dixie, Escambia, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Leon, Levy, Liberty, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Suwannee, Taylor, Wakulla, Walton, Washington.

Growing conditions

USDA PLANTS gives Carolina silverbell a low shade tolerance, low drought tolerance and medium moisture use. It is rated for soil pH 4.7 to 7.0 and winter lows down to -10 °F.

Shade tolerance: Low
Drought tolerance: Low
Moisture use: Medium
Soil textures it is adapted to: coarse, medium
Soil pH range: 4.7 to 7.0
Minimum temperature tolerated: -10 °F
Frost-free days needed (minimum): 160
Annual precipitation range: 40 to 80 inches
Minimum root depth: 40 inches
Salinity tolerance: None
Fertility requirement: Medium
Growth rate: Moderate
Lifespan: Moderate
Active growth period: Spring and Summer
Fruit or seed: Red · Summer to Fall
Can be propagated by: bare root, container, cuttings, seed
Commercial availability: No Known Source

From the USDA PLANTS characteristics data for HACA3. USDA ratings are general guidance for the species, not a guarantee for your garden.

Names, range and relatives

Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Halesia parviflora.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 98 counties across 6 states; the most are in Georgia (40), Florida (22), South Carolina (18).

More from the Styracaceae family (1 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Japanese snowbell.

More Georgia flowers

Japanese snowbell

Styrax japonicus

🌷 Flowering tree

🌷 Grown in Georgia gardens

American pokeweed

Phytolacca americana

Native

🌼 Blooms in GA: June–August

American beautyberry

Callicarpa americana

Native

🌼 Blooms in GA: June–July

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile HACA3.
iNaturalist, Halesia carolina: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 23, 2026.
Wikipedia, Halesia carolina (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
State rare and invasive plant lists (43):
Show all 43 state lists
- Georgia: Georgia protected plants (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 391-4-10-.09; a 2026 update is proposed).
- New York: New York protected native plants (6 NYCRR § 193.3).
- New York: New York prohibited and regulated invasive species (6 NYCRR Part 575).
- Florida: Florida Regulated Plant Index (Fla. Admin. Code 5B-40.0055).
- Florida: Florida Noxious Weed List (Fla. Admin. Code 5B-57.007).
- North Carolina: North Carolina Protected Plant Species List (02 NCAC 48F .0301).
- North Carolina: North Carolina Noxious Weed List (02 NCAC 48A .1702) (the list names any non-native Lythrum; we apply it to purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria), which isn't native).
- Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania classified native plants (17 Pa. Code Ch. 45, Subchapter B, as amended 2023).
- Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania Noxious Weed List (3 Pa.C.S. § 1519, PA Dept. of Agriculture) (PDA's page spells garlic mustard “Allaria petiolata”; we match it as Alliaria petiolata).
- Tennessee: Tennessee endangered plants (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0400-06-02-.04, Rare Plant Protection and Conservation Act).
- Tennessee: Tennessee Pest Plant List (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0080-06-24-.02).
- South Carolina: South Carolina State Plant Pest List, plants (S.C. Code Regs. 27-135; Clemson Dept. of Plant Industry).
- Alabama: Alabama noxious weeds (Ala. Admin. Code r. 80-10-14-.04).
- Massachusetts: Massachusetts Endangered Species Act list (321 CMR 10.90).
- Massachusetts: Massachusetts Prohibited Plant List (MDAR) (Text from MDAR's 2023 scientific-name PDF (mass.gov blocks automated downloads); 2024-2026 additions listed on the mass.gov page: Alnus glutinosa, Pyrus calleryana, Miscanthus sinensis, Aralia elata, Rhodotypos scandens, Symplocos paniculata.).
- Ohio: Ohio endangered and threatened plants (Ohio Adm. Code 1501:18-1-03, eff. Dec. 26, 2024).
- Ohio: Ohio invasive plant species (Ohio Adm. Code 901:5-30-01).
- Illinois: Illinois List of Endangered and Threatened Flora (17 Ill. Adm. Code 1050), per the Endangered Species Protection Board's 2025 checklist.
- Illinois: Illinois Official List of Exotic Weeds (17 Ill. Adm. Code 1100.30, Illinois Exotic Weed Act).
- New Jersey: New Jersey Endangered Plant Species List (N.J.A.C. 7:5C-5.1).
- New Jersey: New Jersey prohibited invasive plant species (Invasive Species Management Act; propagation banned from Jan 1, 2027, sale from Jan 1, 2030).
- Kentucky: Kentucky endangered and threatened plant lists (400 KAR 3:040, eff. 2026).
- Kentucky: Kentucky noxious weeds and invasive plants on state rights-of-way (KRS 176.051; species list from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet).
- Connecticut: Connecticut Endangered, Threatened and Special Concern Plants (RCSA 26-306; 2015 list).
- Connecticut: Connecticut prohibited invasive plants (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 22a-381d).
- Maryland: Maryland threatened and endangered plants (COMAR 08.03.08.05, .06 and .08).
- Maryland: Maryland Prohibited Invasive Plant List (COMAR 15.06.04.06; MDA, updated July 2026).
- Michigan: Michigan endangered and threatened plants (Mich. Admin. Code R 299.1028, eff. March 20, 2023).
- Michigan: Michigan prohibited and restricted species (NREPA Part 413 and the 2026 Invasive Species Order), as listed by Michigan's Invasive Species Program.
- Missouri: Missouri Wildlife Code endangered species (3 CSR 10-4.111), plants.
- Missouri: Missouri noxious weed list (2 CSR 70-45.005).
- Virginia: Virginia endangered and threatened plant and insect species (2VAC5-320-10).
- Virginia: Virginia noxious weeds (2VAC5-317-20, Tier 1, 2 and 3).
- Indiana: Indiana prohibited invasive terrestrial plants (312 IAC 18-3-25).
- Vermont: Endangered and Threatened Plants of Vermont (10 V.S.A. chap. 123; list of Feb 10, 2022).
- Vermont: Vermont Quarantine List, Regulated Introduced Plant Species Rule (eff. June 16, 2026).
- Arkansas: Arkansas State Plant Board noxious weeds and prohibited plants (2 CAR § 50-101).
- Delaware: Rare and Uncommon Plants of Delaware (DNREC, 2024; informational, Delaware has no state plant-protection list).
- Delaware: Delaware Invasive Plant List (3 Del. Admin. Code § 806-3.0).
- Oregon: Oregon endangered and threatened plants (OAR 603-073-0070).
- Oregon: Oregon noxious weed quarantine, A and B weeds (OAR 603-052-1200).
- Rhode Island: Rhode Island Rare Plants 2016 (RI Natural History Survey, from the RI Wildlife Action Plan; informational, Rhode Island has no state plant-protection listing law).
- Washington: Washington State noxious weed list (WAC 16-750-005, -011, -015).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 23, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Halesia carolina (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension; ASPCA.
Photo: Kailey Alderfer via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.