Henry's Tree
Emmenopterys henryi
Pickup currently unavailable at Aiken Nursery
Rare in cultivation and rarer still in bloom, Emmenopterys henryi is a Chinese tree of the coffee family, Rubiaceae, and a close relative of the native fever tree, Pinckneya. Woodlanders was the first nursery to offer the species in the United States, and one of our own trees was the first to display the showy, pink-bracted flowers in the Western Hemisphere, a small piece of horticultural history rooted in South Carolina soil.
The tree carries the name of Augustine Henry, the Irish botanist and physician who found the tree in 1887 in the remote forests of Hubei Province while serving as a medical officer in China. Two decades later, in 1907, the great plant hunter Ernest Henry Wilson collected seed for the Veitch Nurseries, and from those introductions Emmenopterys henryi made a slow way into the arboretums and botanic gardens of Europe and North America, always as a coveted rarity rather than a common tree.
Part of the legend is the tree's famous reluctance to flower. A young Emmenopterys may grow vigorously for years, even decades, before offering a first bloom, which is exactly what has made each flowering an event reported in the horticultural press. When the tree finally performs, usually in late summer, the reward is a spectacular display of large, creamy-white flowers, sweetly fragrant, some cradled by an enlarged, leaf-like white bract that flushes pink to rose as the season turns, so a flowering tree can look, from a distance, dusted with giant snowflakes.
Given time and space, Emmenopterys henryi makes a large, handsome, deciduous shade tree, upright and vigorous, with bold, glossy foliage that earns a place long before the first flowers arrive. Hardy in USDA zones 6 through 9, the tree wants full sun to part shade, deep, fertile, well-drained soil, and steady moisture while young. This is a specimen for the patient collector, an heirloom planted as much for the gardeners who will one day see the tree bloom as for the one who sets it in the ground. Photos courtesy of Julian Sutton and Abraham Rammeloo.
- Hardiness
- USDA Zones 6–9
- Sun
- Full Sun, Part Shade
- Soil
- Well-drained
- Mature size
- Height 40–100 Feet · Spread 25–40 Feet
- Growth rate
- Fast
- Seasonality
- Deciduous
Clusters of creamy-white, fragrant flowers in late summer, some cradled by an enlarged white bract that blushes pink to rose
From rooting to shipping, our top priority is ensuring you receive healthy, thriving plants for your garden’s success.
Because most of our plants are grown from rooted cuttings — alongside seed, air layering, and grafting chosen for each variety — you receive a stronger, true-to-type plant that establishes quickly in your garden.
Raised on organic soil blends and eco-friendly pest management — never harsh chemicals — your plant arrives healthy for your garden, your family, and the pollinators they feed.
Every purchase gives back. We donate to the Aiken Arboretum and support local wildlife conservation, so growing your garden helps protect the wider ecosystem too.
All our plant material is carefully propagated, grown, and nurtured at our humble nursery in Aiken, South Carolina.
Your plant arrives carefully packed and ready to settle in. Unpack them promptly, give them a day or two to acclimate, then plant following the notes we include — that’s all it takes. Clear care guidance comes with every order, so success is the easy part.
What to expect upon delivery
All our plants are sold in 1-gallon sizes, though the height of each plant can vary depending on its growth rate and seasonality, typically ranging from 1/2 to 2.5 feet.
Each plant is carefully packaged with its roots enclosed in a secure plastic bag containing moist soil, forming a compact root ball. To ensure safe transport, the box is padded with recycled newspaper, providing both stability and eco-friendly protection from weather during shipping.
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