Trevesia palmata seed
LATIN NAME: Trevesia palmata
COMMON NAME: Snowflake Tree, Himalayan Trevesia
The snowflake tree is one of the most striking foliage plants of the warm garden, and its great, divided leaves are like green snowflakes. It grows as a small, evergreen tree, reaching up to six metres, with a bold, upright form and, most remarkably, very unusual leaves, sometimes with a central leaflet to which as many as nine peripheral leaflets are attached, giving each leaf the look of a great, open hand or a green snowflake, with a covering of soft hairs. It is a native of Southeast Asia, from India to southern China, and it is grown as a bold and exotic ornamental in warm, sheltered gardens.
The snowflake tree belongs to the ivy family, Araliaceae, and it is a small tree up to six metres, native to Southeast Asia, from India to southern China. The leaves can be very unusual, sometimes with a central leaflet to which as many as nine peripheral leaflets are attached, which gives the plant its common name.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
The snowflake tree has a genuine and growing place in both botanical and horticultural research. It has been studied in botany, since it is a member of the ivy family, Araliaceae, a large and interesting family that includes the ivies, the ginsengs and the aralias, and researchers have examined its classification and its relationships within the family, which has made it of interest in the study of the Araliaceae. The tree has also been studied in horticulture, since it is a striking and unusual ornamental, prized for its great, snowflake-like leaves, and researchers have examined its cultivation and its value in the warm garden, while its bold foliage has made it a plant of interest to gardeners and to the nursery trade. The species has also been studied in ecology, since it is a native of the forests of Southeast Asia. For a tree of such remarkable foliage, the snowflake tree has a steady and growing record of research.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
Ecologically, the snowflake tree is a bold plant of the warm forest. Its flowers feed insects, and its great, divided leaves give shelter, while it is a striking member of the forests of Southeast Asia, where it grows in the shade of the larger trees.
Its economic value lies mainly in horticulture. It is a striking and unusual ornamental, prized for its great, snowflake-like leaves and its bold, exotic form, and it is grown in warm, sheltered gardens and in conservatories, while its distinctive foliage has made it a valued plant of the nursery trade. For a grower, the snowflake tree is a rewarding and exotic plant, and for a gardener it brings great, divided leaves like green snowflakes to a warm, sheltered spot. The seeds are easy — sow them in warm, moist compost, keep them in a warm, bright spot, and they’ll sprout within a few weeks, growing on into a bold, exotic young tree.