There is one tree in Amsterdam’s Botanical Garden that fills me every year with childlike joy when it flowers. It is easy to overlook this seasonal beauty, as its blossom looks very much like leaves. In May, the usual green canopy transitions into a combination of white and green leaves. If one takes the time to take a closer look, one discovers that every pair of white leaves has a little dark ball as companion. This is the flower.

This tree is nicknamed the ‘handkerchief tree’ which adds to the delight my inner child experiences as I stare up at it, open mouthed at this amazing transformation. Indeed, it is as if the tree has grown myriads of white handkerchiefs. The inflorescences hang in long rows beneath the level branches and are at their best on a breezy day when they flutter in the wind.

Native to China
The Davidia involucrata is a medium sized deciduous tree that is native to Southcentral and Southwest China but is widely cultivated elsewhere since its discovery in 1868 by the French missionary Armand David. In Paris, the first ‘handkerchiefs’ appeared in 1906, born from the seeds that he had brought back. These days you can find it anywhere. It has become a popular ornamental tree in parks and larger gardens. The species is now endangered in the wild, mainly due to advancing cities and intensive agriculture in China.

The handkerchief tree can grow up to 20 to 25 metres (66 to 82 feet) in height. However, due to its slow growth, this height is practically never attained. The one in Amsterdam is more than 50 years old and reaches about seven meters tall.

The handkerchief tree has bright green leaves in the form of a perfect heart. It can take up to 15 years for it to bloom. The first flowers appear from April onwards. Some people see a similarity with white doves, hence its other nickname the ‘dove tree’. Their scent is gently perfumed.

One year, as I was admiring this fascinating bloom, the tree whispered that I should bathe in the extract of these flowers. I gathered 20 beautifully scented bracts which had recently fallen to the ground and took them home where I let them soak overnight in a bowl of water. Bathing in this perfumed water was such an utterly cleansing and liberating experience that it brought me to tears.

Let the essence of the flower of the Davidia involucrate, bring you happiness and joy, as it liberates your sacral chakra from old energies, remnants from the past that you may now release.

With my heartfelt love,

Harriët