diff --git a/xarray/core/datatree.py b/xarray/core/datatree.py
index 3a3fb19daa4..3f423eaa8a6 100644
--- a/xarray/core/datatree.py
+++ b/xarray/core/datatree.py
@@ -91,17 +91,13 @@ def _collect_data_and_coord_variables(
     return data_variables, coord_variables
 
 
-def _coerce_to_dataset(data: Dataset | DataArray | None) -> Dataset:
-    if isinstance(data, DataArray):
-        ds = data.to_dataset()
-    elif isinstance(data, Dataset):
+def _to_new_dataset(data: Dataset | None) -> Dataset:
+    if isinstance(data, Dataset):
         ds = data.copy(deep=False)
     elif data is None:
         ds = Dataset()
     else:
-        raise TypeError(
-            f"data object is not an xarray Dataset, DataArray, or None, it is of type {type(data)}"
-        )
+        raise TypeError(f"data object is not an xarray.Dataset, dict, or None: {data}")
     return ds
 
 
@@ -422,7 +418,8 @@ class DataTree(
 
     def __init__(
         self,
-        data: Dataset | DataArray | None = None,
+        data: Dataset | None = None,
+        parent: DataTree | None = None,
         children: Mapping[str, DataTree] | None = None,
         name: str | None = None,
     ):
@@ -435,9 +432,8 @@ def __init__(
 
         Parameters
         ----------
-        data : Dataset, DataArray, or None, optional
-            Data to store under the .ds attribute of this node. DataArrays will
-            be promoted to Datasets. Default is None.
+        data : Dataset, optional
+            Data to store under the .ds attribute of this node.
         children : Mapping[str, DataTree], optional
             Any child nodes of this node. Default is None.
         name : str, optional
@@ -455,7 +451,7 @@ def __init__(
             children = {}
 
         super().__init__(name=name)
-        self._set_node_data(_coerce_to_dataset(data))
+        self._set_node_data(_to_new_dataset(data))
 
         # shallow copy to avoid modifying arguments in-place (see GH issue #9196)
         self.children = {name: child.copy() for name, child in children.items()}
@@ -540,8 +536,8 @@ def ds(self) -> DatasetView:
         return self._to_dataset_view(rebuild_dims=True)
 
     @ds.setter
-    def ds(self, data: Dataset | DataArray | None = None) -> None:
-        ds = _coerce_to_dataset(data)
+    def ds(self, data: Dataset | None = None) -> None:
+        ds = _to_new_dataset(data)
         self._replace_node(ds)
 
     def to_dataset(self, inherited: bool = True) -> Dataset:
@@ -1050,7 +1046,7 @@ def drop_nodes(
     @classmethod
     def from_dict(
         cls,
-        d: Mapping[str, Dataset | DataArray | DataTree | None],
+        d: Mapping[str, Dataset | DataTree | None],
         name: str | None = None,
     ) -> DataTree:
         """
@@ -1059,10 +1055,10 @@ def from_dict(
         Parameters
         ----------
         d : dict-like
-            A mapping from path names to xarray.Dataset, xarray.DataArray, or DataTree objects.
+            A mapping from path names to xarray.Dataset or DataTree objects.
 
-            Path names are to be given as unix-like path. If path names containing more than one part are given, new
-            tree nodes will be constructed as necessary.
+            Path names are to be given as unix-like path. If path names containing more than one
+            part are given, new tree nodes will be constructed as necessary.
 
             To assign data to the root node of the tree use "/" as the path.
         name : Hashable | None, optional
@@ -1083,8 +1079,12 @@ def from_dict(
         if isinstance(root_data, DataTree):
             obj = root_data.copy()
             obj.orphan()
-        else:
+        elif root_data is None or isinstance(root_data, Dataset):
             obj = cls(name=name, data=root_data, children=None)
+        else:
+            raise TypeError(
+                f'root node data (at "/") must be a Dataset or DataTree, got {type(root_data)}'
+            )
 
         def depth(item) -> int:
             pathstr, _ = item
diff --git a/xarray/tests/test_datatree.py b/xarray/tests/test_datatree.py
index 1a840dbb9e4..eca051bb7fc 100644
--- a/xarray/tests/test_datatree.py
+++ b/xarray/tests/test_datatree.py
@@ -33,6 +33,14 @@ def test_bad_names(self):
         with pytest.raises(ValueError):
             DataTree(name="folder/data")
 
+    def test_data_arg(self):
+        ds = xr.Dataset({"foo": 42})
+        tree: DataTree = DataTree(data=ds)
+        assert_identical(tree.to_dataset(), ds)
+
+        with pytest.raises(TypeError):
+            DataTree(data=xr.DataArray(42, name="foo"))  # type: ignore
+
 
 class TestFamilyTree:
     def test_dont_modify_children_inplace(self):
@@ -613,6 +621,11 @@ def test_insertion_order(self):
         # despite 'Bart' coming before 'Lisa' when sorted alphabetically
         assert list(reversed["Homer"].children.keys()) == ["Lisa", "Bart"]
 
+    def test_array_values(self):
+        data = {"foo": xr.DataArray(1, name="bar")}
+        with pytest.raises(TypeError):
+            DataTree.from_dict(data)  # type: ignore
+
 
 class TestDatasetView:
     def test_view_contents(self):