Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
General Subjects => Flowers and Foliage Now => Topic started by: TheOnionMan on May 26, 2010, 02:31:30 PM
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Two white flowered trees are perfuming the entire yard, and with the windows wide open on the last two very hot days (93 F, 35 C), the perfume wafts inside the house too.
The first is our native Fringe Tree, Chionanthus virginicus, in the showier male form, covered with fleecy white filamentous flowers. It's hard to adequately capture the delightful soft "puffiness" of the thready flower masses. And we do need SRGC scratch-and-sniff technology to enjoy the enticing perfume, like cotton candy (candy floss to the UK folks), or burnt sugar... precisely the same scent that perfumes my garden each autumn with drifts of Cimicifuga simplex varieties.
The second one is Styrax japonica, covered with a million hanging white bells with yellow-stamened centers. The flowers drip from every inch of every branch with impossible profusion, fantastic to view looking up into the tree to see the little bells, from afar the small flowers partially concealed with a canopy of green for a modest filmy green and white affair. For years I have tried to pinpoint the perfume, rather strong, even cloying up close, of a peculiar aroma that is both sweet yet fruity, blended with a soupçon of chemical smell... I always get a sense of walking through womans make-up and perfume counters in a department store.
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Two white flowered trees are perfuming the entire yard, and with the windows wide open on the last two very hot days (93 F, 35 C), the perfume wafts inside the house too.
The first is our native Fringe Tree, Chionanthus virginicus, in the showier male form, covered with fleecy white filamentous flowers. It's hard to adequately capture the delightful soft "puffiness" of the thready flower masses. And we do need SRGC scratch-and-sniff technology to enjoy the enticing perfume, like cotton candy (candy floss to the UK folks), or burnt sugar... precisely the same scent that perfumes my garden each autumn with drifts of Cimicifuga simplex varieties.
The second one is Styrax japonica, covered with a million hanging white bells with yellow-stamened centers. The flowers drip from every inch of every branch with impossible profusion, fantastic to view looking up into the tree to see the little bells, from afar the small flowers partially concealed with a canopy of green for a modest filmy green and white affair. For years I have tried to pinpoint the perfume, rather strong, even cloying up close, of a peculiar aroma that is both sweet yet fruity, blended with a soupçon of chemical smell... I always get a sense of walking through womans make-up and perfume counters in a department store.
Very smart specimens, McMark.... very light and cheery.
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Two white flowered trees are perfuming the entire yard
The first is our native Fringe Tree, Chionanthus virginicus
The second one is Styrax japonica
Mark, these are my type of "alpine plants". Brilliant examples. I grow the Styrax though it is a very small specimen as yet, grown from seed. The Chionanthus is one I must look out for, great plant.
Paddy
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To follow up on my comments above on Mark's posting, here are a few which might interest him from our garden.
Paddy
Aesculus pavia - seed sown in 2000 and planted in the garden in 2002 and full of flower this year.
Aesculus hippocastanum - this is our "native" chestnut tree and this is a big tree in the garden, about 20 metres X 20 metres
Aesculus mutabilis induta - in contrast to A. hippocastanum, this chestnut tree is less than a metre tall or wide but is covered in flowers
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A few more. Paddy
Aesculus turbinata - from seed, around 2000
Halesia carolina - from seed, around 2000
Malus floribunda - the absolutely best crabapple I have ever seen. Brilliant blossom though the crabapples are tiny to non-existent
Staphylea pinnate - from seed, around 2000. A very easy shrub, fast growing and very decorative in flower
Post Scriptum: I have just looked back at the photographs - this is certainly a horse chestnut theme going in the garden at the moment but they are lovely trees and it is hard not to love them.
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Really lovely Paddy...the Aesculus turbinata will it grow much taller than it is now.
Angie :)
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this is certainly a horse chestnut theme going in the garden at the moment but they are lovely trees and it is hard not to love them
I totally agree, such wonderful trees and they are spectacular in flower this year, covered in candles. Sweet chestnut is my favourite :)
Malus floribunda - the absolutely best crabapple I have ever seen. Brilliant blossom though the crabapples are tiny to non-existent
An absolute beauty :D
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Angie,
To the best of my knowledge, Aesculus turbinata grows to twenty metres or so. Mine is a very young plant as yet, about three metres tall after ten years from seed. It will outlive me.
Thank you, Robin. I had a tree of variegated Sweet Chestnut but it always struggled with me and I took it out earlier this year.
Paddy
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Thanks for the reply Paddy.. that's a shame I was hoping it would be a small tree, great to have grown it from seed 8).
Angie :)
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Paddy - Are you sure your turbinata is not flava (octandra)? My turbinata has very very big leaves. We flowered flava from seed rather quickly here.
johnw
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I have not posted here all year....just a few eastern North American woody species I am very fond of.
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To follow up on my comments above on Mark's posting, here are a few which might interest him from our garden.
Paddy
Aesculus pavia - seed sown in 2000 and planted in the garden in 2002 and full of flower this year.
Aesculus hippocastanum - this is our "native" chestnut tree and this is a big tree in the garden, about 20 metres X 20 metres
Aesculus mutabilis induta - in contrast to A. hippocastanum, this chestnut tree is less than a metre tall or wide but is covered in flowers
Ah Paddy, here is one of my weaknesses... "ornamental trees". I have 1.7 acres of land, but 1 acre is open and plantable, the rest is already heavily wooded, and it is all too easy to overplant with trees, particularly when growing them from seed. I feel like I need many acres to quench my interest in trees, Japanese maples and Acer species, horse chestnuts to be sure (so many fascinating Aesculus), Stewartias, Cornus, Halesia (have 4 varieties), Betula, Staphylea (have 2 varieties), Euonymus (tree types), Magnolia, etc. It's a bonafide disease! But if I had to grow just one tree... that would be a VERY DIFFICULT decision, a near toss-up between Stewartia pseudocamellia (heavily budded at the moment) and Oxydendron arboreum (Sourwood)... but I think I would favor the Sourwood.
Kristl... nice Pawpaw tree, yet another tree I've wanted to plant, but haven't got around to it yet.
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Paddy,
thanks for sharing these Aesculus! I adore trees, but my garden is small and I have resorted to smaller Acer species, which are still lovely, but without the opulent flowers. Seeing these beauties really makes me yearn for a few acres of private arbouretum.
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Ornamental trees and shrubs are definitely my weakness. At the plant fair I went to last month, I managed to acquire 4 Acer, 1 citron (unidentified from Ethiopia), 3 Cornus, 1 Euodia, 1 Halesia, 1 Liquidambar, 2 Magnolia, 2 Malus, 3 Michelia, 1 Sinojackia, 5 Stewartia, 3 Styrax, 1 Syringa, 3 Viburnum, and a few other things :) All currently being looked after by gardener friends. And yes, I do have a few acres for my future garden - prospects for which are now excellent :D (that ought to be in the I'm so happy thread).
These Aesculus are quite gorgeous - very tempting! And the Staphylea! And the Asimina! And everything else ...
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What's this?
Are some members of the SRGC secretly tree lovers?
Should we have a new branch of the SRGC - TLA, Tree Lovers Anonymous.
Here, I'll start: "Hello, I'm Paddy and I love trees."
Just joking, as I know you all grow a complete range of plants.
John, I could not argue with you over the identity of the Aesculus. I received the seed as A. turbinata and, as one does, continued to apply that name to the plant in the garden. To be honest, it is not the best of flowers, not as full as those on other horsechestnuts and the leaf is, as you point out, a little more linear in habit rather than the large lobed kind we find on other species.
Kristl, Cercis does very well here. The Calycanthus is a bit of a disappointment as the flowers "ball" - become affected by rain, the outer petals rot and the blossom fails to open. I have grown the Asimina from seed but it did not last with me. Time for another attempt, perhaps.
Mark, we obviously share a common taste in trees as I grow some species of each genus you listed though the Oxydendron did not last with me - again, one to try again.
Jamie, even the smallest garden could have A. mutabilis induta as it is only 1 metre X 1 metre and is a delightful plant, presently covered in flowers.
Chloe, I am waiting patiently for my Euodia daniellii to produce its lovely red flowers. It is a very uncommon tree here but I know one garden which has a mature specimen and it is beautiful. I failed to germinate Sinojackia. Citron are simply out of the question in the garden here for climatic reasons and I absolutely HATE syringas. Michelia is fabulous but a young plant didn't survive with me - another forum member previously commented that I was lucky as she found it a frightfully dirty tree, leaving lots of leaves to clean up.
There is a great sense of achievement in growing a tree from seed, great to see something so small achieve such size in the garden and great to grow something which will most likely outlive me.
Paddy
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Ian and I firmly believe that no garden, of whatever size, is a real garden without a tree... or preferably, trees!
Even if one's passion is for the tiniest plants of the world, in a domestic setting the appearance can be too stark if there is no height and lush top story provided by some sort of tree. ]
I know that on a windswept mountain top there are no trees, but most of us are not gardening in those situations!
Even a small tree, an acer or sorbus for instance, will create a more pleasureable atmosphere in our gardens.
Ian is addicted to growing tree seeds, luckily I have managed to curtail this to acer and sorbus varieties, that we are able to accomodate here, at least for a time! ::) :-\
It is great fun to have grown a tree from seed, as Paddy says.... if you think of the fun and achievement we can get from growing little plants from seed, then a tree is somehow that feeling , multiplied.... I suppose it must be the "hope for the future" effect.... gaining a measure of immortality through the growing tree! 8)
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Paddy:
I have a Evodia Daneilli that has white flowers. Flowers at about five years old. Planted for its flowers that attract bees for miles. Beekeepers call it the "bee bee" tree. I believe the Asians use the seeds as a herbal remedy.
Arnold
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Arnold,
You have done very well to flower the Euodia so quickly. It must be a beauty! Mine is surely approaching ten years from germination so it surely (says I hopefully) will flower shortly. Fingers crossed.
A photograph of your white-flowered Euodia in due time would be lovely.
Just had a look at "Hilliers" - our equivalent to your "Dirr's" - where it is described as having white flowers. Obviously, I am mixed up here. Certainly, the tree I see in the garden mentioned above has red flowers and this is what led me to expect red but perhaps I will have white.
Hilliers lists Euodia hupehensis and Euodia velutina but then gives Tetradium daniellii as as the latest name for both.
Dirr lists Evodia daniellii (=Tetradium daniellii) and Evodia hupehensis and comments that this latter may simply be an ecotype of the former.
Paddy
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Paddy:
The flower buds are a tight bunch and open white. I grew mine from seed and actually planted one one the apron between sidewalk and street. It has done well as you can see from the pictures.
Arnold
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Sorry.
Arnold
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That really is doing well for you, Arnold, far better than mine which hasn't reached that height at all. Actually, it branched low down and lacks the nice leader your specimen has.
Good one!
Paddy
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Although my garden has a sprinkling of srubs I have only one tree Cornus controversa 'Variegata', commonly known, for fairly obvious reasons as The Wedding Cake Tree.
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A good one, David.
Paddy
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Although my garden has a sprinkling of srubs I have only one tree Cornus controversa 'Variegata', commonly known, for fairly obvious reasons as The Wedding Cake Tree.
Now that's what I call a cake! 8)
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;D
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Guys and Gals,
we really do need to maintain a thread simply about trees! These are simply one of the most magnificent creations of mother nature and, even for those that only really nurture the small and meek of the rock garden, cannot be relegated to the non existentsia. What would our gardens be, without but a few stately arbourvitae. We should maintain a thread for these centenary wonders, even if they play only a minor role for many. After all, without them we wouldn't be able to breathe!
Paddy, I want some seeds! ;D ;D ;)
Seriously, we all have selected a few trees to balance our gardens. We should report on their seasonal beauty. Finding the best possible tree for a specific position is best conveyed through other members experience, don't you all agree?
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Jamie,
Certainly, I would expect the bigger chestnuts to set seed but that small one has never done so. Such a pity.
Paddy
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Another nice set, Armin. My son and I went for a walk this afternoon and Leucanthemum vulgare were well into flower. Hyacinthoides non-scripta grows very, very well here and we take care to remove the flower heads as soon as the flowers wither as they can seed about vigorously.
Following on the tree theme of a few posts back:
First Evodia daniellii for Arnold - not as nice a specimen as yours, Arnold, but I have hopes that it will flower in due course. Jamie, take note of the small Horse Chestnut, Aesculus mutabilis induta, on the right hand side of the bed.
Laburnum with Allium 'Purple Sensation' in the foreground
Acer negundo 'Kelly's Gold'. Members in the USA will probably be amazed that I would give A. negundo garden space as I believe it is a weed species with you but they never seed about here.
Azara dentata - good flower set this year.
Laburnum again
Cornus alternifolia and Abies koreana
Fraxinus retusa var Henryi - quite a different flower to the usual ash here
Acer 'Brilliantissimum'
Cornus 'Porlock' - first flowers on a plant bought in spring '09
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Aesculus mutabilis induta
The foliage in the bottom right hand corner is of colchicum, which give something by which to judge the size of this shrub. As you see it is a very small horse chestnut but full of flower.
The foliage behind is of a rheum.
Paddy
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a few things from may--starting with a couple that fit with the recent woody theme.
pics 1-5 Shepherdia canadensis a common local shrub, charming in a very low key way; tough to shoot the whole thing, especially while in flower with no leaves; sort of a many branched candelabra shape, somewhat sprawling, especially in semi/shady spots where it often grows; in the open, its more dense..
the microscopic flowers are among the earliest, edible but saponin rich berries come later, but are much scarcer than the flowers, since most of the bushes are male!
pics 6-8 Salix sp a smaller plant in all regards than the first salix i posted; bright yellow stems and tons of bright yellow pollen giving them a glow even from a distance..
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some of those golden Salix sp in the distance..
edit--sorry to anyone who already looked at the pics in these two posts--i forgot to use the smallest pics; all changed now.. c
full photo sets at picasa link below
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Hi Jamie. Here are a few of my favorite trees in the yard
John B
Guys and Gals,
we really do need to maintain a thread simply about trees! These are simply one of the most magnificent creations of mother nature and, even for those that only really nurture the small and meek of the rock garden, cannot be relegated to the non existentsia. What would our gardens be, without but a few stately arbourvitae. We should maintain a thread for these centenary wonders, even if they play only a minor role for many. After all, without them we wouldn't be able to breathe!
Paddy, I want some seeds! ;D ;D ;)
Seriously, we all have selected a few trees to balance our gardens. We should report on their seasonal beauty. Finding the best possible tree for a specific position is best conveyed through other members experience, don't you all agree?
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John,
nice to see the flowering cherry-plum, Prunus cerassifera, still being planted. I lost my 45 year old 'Nigra' last season, but it was old for this species, which rarely seems to reach 40! Do you know what cultivar you have? There are several with dark foliage, but the fruits and flowers are all a bit different. I've never seen them side by side, so I don't know how pregnant the differences are. The fruits are quite edible, if a bit sour until completely ripe. Really is more of a cherry than a plum.
The only largish tree I now have is a Liriodendron tulipifera 'Aureo-Marginata', which is very fastigiate for the species, as well as slow growing and having wonderful foliage. It will eventually get larger than the Paulownia tormentosa.
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One of my favourite smaller trees is the Judas tree (Cercis siliquastrum), I love the way the flowers emerge straight from the branches. I have the white version too but it's leaves got badly frosted this year.
Just emerging now are the leaves on my Kentucky coffeetree (Gymnocladus dioicus). I like the distinctive grey bloom on the new shoots of this tree. I'm sure it will eventually get too big for where I've planted it but it is slow growing so I can enjoy it for some years yet. Has anyone actually tried making coffee from one?
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I think that the majority of available cultivars of Gymnocladus dioicus are male plants so not likely that many will achieve pods .... just as well because the seeds contain toxins that are pretty nasty. :-X
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Gail,
I have a small plant of the Kentucky Coffee Tree, wonderful foliage but very slow growing, as you say.
Paddy
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Mark,
your Chionanthus virginicus is incredible! I like the tree very much and have a young one but it has still never flowered.
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Is this a Kentucky coffee tree?
If it is, how hardy are they, as I had another about the same size that died over the winter.
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Thanks Maggi for separating out a Tree thread... YAY!
One that I find myself photographing through the season is Acer shirasawanum 'Autumn Moon', it is just an ever changing carnival of color. Don't let the 'Autum Moon' fool you into thinking color is just the fall, it could just as well be called "spring moon" or "summer moon". In early spring the leaves emerge a hot coral pink color, from afar giving the impression of an azalea in bloom! Later the leaves become brilliant yellow and gold, tinged and shaded red and orange. It is fantastic right now. In summer, the yellow orange-tinged foliage color remains strong, not reverting to green, an uncommon ability to retain strong color throughout the season. In fall the color is an intense orange. WOW!
This is a small bushy Acer, with full circular fan leaves with up to 8 sharp lobes. I'll be needing to move plants out from under or near the tree, as it is encroaching upon them... I'm happy to do so and give it sufficient room.
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Mark,
your Chionanthus virginicus is incredible! I like the tree very much and have a young one but it has still never flowered.
Olga, then I suppose you don't know the sex of the tree yet. I noticed someone in our neighborhood has a female tree, the female flowers not as showy but lasting *much* longer than those of my male tree.
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Mark
Moreover, I am not sure it is Chionanthus. ;D I have to make image of leaves and show here.
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I like new conifer shoots.
Picea pungens Bialobok
(http://cs9472.vkontakte.ru/u6450879/20107304/x_cf4258a3.jpg)
Picea abies Acrocona Nana
(http://cs4289.vkontakte.ru/u6450879/92164489/x_9d067cc3.jpg)
Picea pungens Baby Blue Eyes
(http://cs1819.vkontakte.ru/u6450879/97716365/x_4fc17dce.jpg)
My friend's Witch Broom grafting named Vdokhnovenie (Inspiration)
(http://cs9312.vkontakte.ru/u6450879/20107304/x_ce1939fe.jpg)
(http://cs9312.vkontakte.ru/u6450879/20107304/x_8762f18b.jpg)
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Yes Rob, it´s looks like a Kentucky coffee. I have got a small tree in my garden here in Stockholm that has been growing quite happily for three or four years so it seems to be quite cold hardy. It grows very slow though, but I think that´s normal. It is leafs out rather late in spring (about now) at least here in Sweden.
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Davidia involucrata at UBC. The flower in my hand is the sanoma form, a whip in my garden. This form, if the nursery hype is to be believed, has flowers 3 times the size of the typical form and blooms at 3 or 4 years in the ground instead of the typical 10 to 20. I'm a believer.
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And another tree. Sorry. Melliodendron xylocarpum flowering at UBC. Extraordinary tree but difficult to capture the beauty in a photo. Close to Styrax. Will have find a source for these. Philip
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Davidia involucrata at UBC. The flower in my hand is the sanoma form, a whip in my garden. This form, if the nursery hype is to be believed, has flowers 3 times the size of the typical form and blooms at 3 or 4 years in the ground instead of the typical 10 to 20. I'm a believer.
No one in the east has had any luck with this one. So I presume it is not var. vilmoriniana. Do the slugs climbs that high out there?
johnw
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And another tree. Sorry. Melliodendron xylocarpum flowering at UBC. Extraordinary tree but difficult to capture the beauty in a photo. Close to Styrax. Will have find a source for these. Philip
A new one to me. Where is it's natural habitat?
johnw
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John,
China.
I've only seen one here in Cornwall.
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John, I think we've already discussed the fact that here on the west coast several species of slugs are capable of brief bursts of flight. Philip
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Is this a Kentucky coffee tree?
If it is, how hardy are they, as I had another about the same size that died over the winter.
Rob, that certainly looks like a Kentucky Coffee Tree. I have found that the leading bud regularly dies back over winter but is quickly replaced by the next in line in spring. Perhaps, our summers and autumns are not hot enough to sufficiently ripen the wood to harden it off to come through the winter.
Best of luck with it. Paddy
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I like this tread very much.
Because of the trees (I'm a tree lover too ;D ;D) and of the chestnuts.
Want to show two pictures from a tree seen in April in the Botanic Garden of Marburg.
Aesculus neglecta 'Erythroblasta'
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A yellow flowering chestnut (only a shrub) 1-1,5 meter
Aesculus sylvatica
In my garden. Have set seeds since two years.
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Uli,
Two wonderful trees. I have never seen an Aesculus neglecta 'Erythroblasta' so large. It is an excellent specimen.
The Aesculus sylvatica is a beautiful tree/shrub.
Paddy
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That is the main problem with Aesculus Paddy, most of them are toooo large for normal gardens.
So I'm looking for shrubby chestnuts. Most of them are not available in the nurseries here. Only with friendly guys you can get seeds of these chestnuts.
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nice to see these aesculus..i admired some wonderful old giants when i lived in toronto..
here, the usual species at least, are not considered hardy, but there is a large tree in edmonton (north of here, zone 3, slightly colder midwinter, and warmer summer) that has survived many decades, and some people are trying seed from it, but i have not had a chance to try it yet...
shrubs would be nice to try too, i will have to look them up...
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When we lived in Edmonton, someone a couple of blocks from us had a fairly large aesculus in the front yard. There's also one in a yard down by the river, about a km from here - it's large but with a multi-stemmed/shrubby form. Unfortunately, I never paid enough attention to either to figure out the species. It's warmer and more sheltered in the river lowlands here - I doubt one would survive in our yard up on the hill.
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Rob, that certainly looks like a Kentucky Coffee Tree. I have found that the leading bud regularly dies back over winter but is quickly replaced by the next in line in spring. Perhaps, our summers and autumns are not hot enough to sufficiently ripen the wood to harden it off to come through the winter.
Best of luck with it. Paddy
Thanks Paddy
I think this is what happened to the other one, that the new growth didn't sufficiently ripen to make it through the winter.
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Rob, that certainly looks like a Kentucky Coffee Tree. I have found that the leading bud regularly dies back over winter but is quickly replaced by the next in line in spring. Perhaps, our summers and autumns are not hot enough to sufficiently ripen the wood to harden it off to come through the winter.
Best of luck with it. Paddy
Thanks Paddy
I think this is what happened to the other one, that the new growth didn't sufficiently ripen to make it through the winter.
Paddy / Rob - Kentucky Coffeee trees grow here quite well. Many very young trees lose their terminal buds here due to lack of ripening. After a few years somehow they overcome this and grow on without a problem. Paulownia is an extreme example. I've seen it freeze back to the ground countless years in a row and then suddenly it doesn't have a problem (at least until another 1993 winter rolls around). As a youngster the interior is nothing but hollowy pith and yet I've heard it said the wood is highly prized in the Orient so something obviosuly changes in time. I've even had Paulownia seedlings die back to the soil line over the winter in a frost free basement.
johnw
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When we lived in Edmonton, someone a couple of blocks from us had a fairly large aesculus in the front yard. There's also one in a yard down by the river, about a km from here - it's large but with a multi-stemmed/shrubby form. Unfortunately, I never paid enough attention to either to figure out the species. It's warmer and more sheltered in the river lowlands here - I doubt one would survive in our yard up on the hill.
there's a northern gardening forum (mostly people into popular/new cultivars/hybrids so i haven't visited in a long time) where they were talking about the big one--its right in downtown edmonton, but i didn't know of it when i lived there, or if i saw it didn't know it shouldn't grow there...lol..
i don't have the temperature advantage of the big cities, but we are quite wind sheltered by the surrounding bush--i have a Tilia cordata doing very nicely near my house, which was rated marginal in some provincial tests--survived in some of the plantings, not or damaged in others...
here's a view toward my acreage from up the road--we are at the upper right, behind the tall spruce trees..there is some sun in here, but bush all around and some trees within....lol
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Beautiful Viburnum x carlcephalum captured in The Parsonage Garden, Didsbury, Manchester on Friday.
Viburnum x carlcephalum
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Beautiful Viburnum x carlcephalum captured in The Parsonage Garden, Didsbury, Manchester on Friday.
Viburnum x carlcephalum
Beautiful shrub Cliff but are you sure about the name? It looks quite different from the one I have as Viburnum x carlcephalum, which doesn't have such deeply veined leaves. Was it scented?
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Cliff, you caught it at its peak, every flower on every branch is perfect - what a dramatic a lovely sight - is it scented by the way?
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Thanks to you both. I asked Sue to pose next to it but neither of us can recall any scent. This was the label that I referred to.
Also see this link ...
http://classes.hortla.wsu.edu/hort231/List02/VibSpp.html
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Cliff,
I think Gail is right. The Viburnum looks more like V. plicatum or cultivar 'Grandiflorum'. The flower are not sterile in V. carlcephalum.
Look at the link, it is from the national collection holder of France.
http://pepiniere-laurent.fr/images/article/627/Viburnum-x-carlcephalum-Cayuga-des-fleurs-Medium-.jpg
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John,
I will live in hope that the Kentucky Coffee Tree gets going over the coming few years so, hardens up and puts on a bit of size. Amazingly, a Paulownia tree here, about 4 X 4 metres, came through the hard winter while other trees died. It really surprised me that it survived. In contrast a good sized Acacia melanozylon is dead though the trunk was about 20cm in diameter and had a height of 6 - 7 metres. I have left it in hopes of some regrowth but there is nothing to date. Pity!
Paddy
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Cliff, Uli is correct.... I was just about to post. The shrub must be mislabeled, as it is certainly a V. plicatum variety. The only Viburnum I have in the garden is V. x carlcephalum... if you were in the presence of the real plant you would have met with its incredible sweet floral fragrance.
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Thanks Mark,
This is why I usually concentrate on photographing alpines ... stick to what you know! :D Even public gardens get things wrong! :D
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Paddy - You can't beat the Coffee tree for a tropical effect against the sky. One at a friend's.
johnw
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And here's his Cedrela sinensis.
johnw
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And here's his Cedrela sinensis.
johnw
John,
you shocked me with this name. The picture in my head says Toona sinensis. I find C. sinensis as a synonym of Toona and Toona as a synonym of C. sinensis. Oh these synonyms!
Does anyone know why this tree i called vegetable tree?
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'the young shoots and leaves have an oniony taste and are boiled and eaten as a vegetable by the Chinese'
W.J.Bean ; Trees and Shrubs Hardy in the British Isles.
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Might the Viburnum be one called 'Popcorn'?
johnw
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John,
I think you have it. Micheal Dirr "Viburnums" show a picture of 'Popcorn' looks the same way as Cliff's Viburnum.
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John,
Re Toona sinensis: Where I have seen it growing here in Ireland it has always been a disproportionately tall tree giving a spindly effect which did not appeal to me though I do find the foliage very nice. Perhaps, it might be good planted in a group.
Paddy
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John,
Re Toona sinensis: Where I have seen it growing here in Ireland it has always been a disproportionately tall tree giving a spindly effect which did not appeal to me though I do find the foliage very nice. Perhaps, it might be good planted in a group.
Paddy
Paddy,
same effect here. Does not know if cultivars as 'Flamigo' grow in a better way. The young plants I see last years looks the same way as Toona sinensis.
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Uli - I had no idea there were name cultivars of Toona. Is the new growth pinkish on 'Flamingo'?
To both you and Paddy I can't comment on the habit of the Toona in N.S. or at my friend's as he has so many trees his plant is jammed in tightly, one only sees the leaves against the sky - obviously good usage of it.
I will try to visit him soon and take more photos. He has a great collection.
johnw
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Uli,
Your mention of a Toona cultivar called, "Flamingo" reminds me of Acer negundo 'Flamingo' which was a tree found in every garden centre here about twenty years ago. The young foliage was pink and white edged and was absolutely disgusting. So, the very name "Flamingo" would put me off seeking out this Toona cultivar.
Paddy
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There is a Toona 'Flamingo' at Wisley (picture here- http://www.flickr.com/photos/33037982@N04/3511736064/)
I bought a young plant once but it died the first winter.
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I have been taking life very gently here over the last few days and ventured out to take a few photographs of trees around the garden.
Starting with a disappointment:
Acacia melanoxylon obviously not going to resprout at this stage, dead, a victim to the hard winter.
Acer negundo - probably looked on as a weed tree to forumists in North America but I have four trees here grown from seed and they do a nice job of enclosing the garden shed.
Acer palmatum, grown from seed
Aesculus hippocastanum with Fraxinus excelsior on the boundary of the garden
Aesculus pavia setting seed - hope they develop.
Paddy
Gail, just spotted your post and will have a look in a second. P.
Post Scriptum: No, Gail, I wouldn't give it garden room. Too much pink.
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A few more. Paddy
Carpinus betulus 'Fastigiata', a group of three at the top of this bed. The lower branches have been removed to allow planting underneath. This tree does not retain its upright habit and these three will meet in a few years.
Cedrus atlantica - I hate this tree
Cornus controversa variegata - Mary loves this tree
Crataegus crus-galli, a group of three, excellent autumn colour but dangerous thorns approximately 8cm long
Crataegus prunifolius - lovely scent at the moment, good big haws.
Crinodendron hookeri and Acer brilliantissimum, the latter a good small tree to brighten a dark corner.
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Cedrus atlantica - I hate this tree
How can you hate it?? At that size it is a fairy tale tree, just needs a dusting of snow.
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Gail,
I have a general dislike of conifers. They generally fail to signal the changes in season and remain their dull same through the year. There are a few exceptions which I like but not many.
Paddy
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Cedrus atlantica - I hate this tree
How can you hate it?? At that size it is a fairy tale tree, just needs a dusting of snow.
And if we could only grow it! There are several tortured ones in the Province.
johnw
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John,
Your climate has spared you the monotonous dowdiness of permanent dull green. How lucky you are. Why do I grow it? Well, I don't. Mary does.
Paddy
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Can't you use it as a climbing frame for a Tropaeolum or something, Paddy to spare yourself the "monotonous dowdiness"?
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Gail,
I shall suggest same to Mary as she is fond of the tropaeolum. Personally, I would prefer the chainsaw solution.
Paddy
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John,
Your climate has spared you the monotonous dowdiness of permanent dull green. How lucky you are. Why do I grow it? Well, I don't. Mary does.
Paddy
But it's the blue one that struggles here and it's the one we want! And even February green is better than white in this climate ;D
johnw
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So, John, in the land of winter white even the dullest green is worth space. Just shows, there is space for almost every plant in some garden. I've even seen some members of the forum growing dandelions ("Piss-a-beds" to us in our youth)/
A few more trees from the garden.
Gymnocladus dioica, The Kentucky Coffee Tree we spoke of earlier in this thread. Note that the trunk has a number of kinks where the apical bud died back overwinter and a side bud sprouted the following spring. I hope that this tree will get itself going at some stage as it is such a nice thing.
Cydonia oblonga, Quince Tree, excellent blossom in spring and beautiful fruit in autumn, the source of marmelada.
Juglans regia - a young plant but eventually...
Platanus orientalis 'Digitata' - planted on my fiftieth birthday and I reckon this is going to be a great tree when I reach one hundred.
Quercus cerris - hardly ornamental but an excellent background tree.
Paddy
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Have just had a chance to read throught this interesting thread. I have an interest in (unusual) edible trees/shrubs (which is most species, if one includes famine food plants...) and have started a couple of hundred species mostly from seed the last 15 years and the area I'm using was originally infested with Honey Fungus, so I've systematically dug over the area removing all tree roots before first planting potatoes for a year and then replanting (no idea whether this strategy will work, but with a wide spread of species some will work). Most are still quite young so nothing much to show.
A couple of comments prompted by posts above:
Gymnocladus - it survives here (min. -24C the last 15 years), but grows incredibly slowly and is now no more than 20 cm after perhaps 10 years from seed!
Paulownia tomentosa: I got hold of some seed about 8 years ago and they germinated quickly. I had heard of folk in milder climates than mine who had lost plants and I saw one at Kew that had been cut down and was was growing strongly from the root (I had assumed that this was due to frost damage). I therefore didn't give it much hope, expecting at best it to regrow from the root each year. The last few winters were mild and it came through with only slight damage at the tips. Then we had this last very severe winter where it was exposed to -24C and 3 months of continuous sub-zero temperatures with little snow cover. I was certain it was dead. To my great surprise a week ago, I notice that there were shoots appearing right to the top and it wasn't damaged at all! It is now 3-4m high and still in a nursery bed waiting for a permanent position. I've decided I don't really have space for it and have offered it to the botanics...
Another tree that suprised me with its hardiness (and I don't think it has been mentioned before) I saw first in a botanical garden in Hawaii, the Paper Mulberry, Broussonetia papyrifera. Surely a tree commonly grown for its bark fiber in the Pacific Islands would survive my Norwegian winter - sounded absurd... Well, I found a seed source and thought I would try it as a pot plant as it has really interesting foliage. They germinated, but I left the plant in the garden one winter. Miraculously, it survived! I later discovered that the tree actually originated in northern China, hence its hardiness. I had it for 6 years, it flowered at about 1-2m high but died that winter which wasn't that extreme. I had had 2 trees originally and after my discovery gave one to the botanics here. Luckily, they still had it and they took cuttings for me and returned the tree to me. The last time I had it for 5 years, but it now seems to have died again in this hard winter. A couple of pictures of the leaves below, the last one from a tree at Kruidtuin, Leuven in Belgium:
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Stephen - I am happy to hear the Broussonetia turned out to be hardier than expected. I first fell in love with it when Hugh Johnson's book on trees first came out in the 1970's. There was a remakable picture of it in that book. We saw huge trees on the main street in Williamburg, Virginia. Another was Kalopanax pictus that has proven to be very tough here; again huge old trees at the Arnold Arboretum in Boston. They sent me seeds and I passed the seedlings around in Nova Scotia and all are doing well.
I went back to that book as there was another tree, an extraordinary specimen of Zelkova carpinifolia growing in Devon, that I have always wondered about its hardiness.
johnw
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Stephen - Which Paulownia did you grow? The one I grew here was P. koreana, at least that's how the Arnold Arboretum had it labelled from their Korean venture. Now I see it listed also as P. tomentosa v. koreana. It has been flowering in NS for 2 or 3 years. I swear every seed sprouted.
johnw
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Stephen - I am happy to hear the Broussonetia turned out to be hardier than expected. I first fell in love with it when Hugh Johnson's book on trees first came out in the 1970's. There was a remakable picture of it in that book. We saw huge trees on the main street in Williamburg, Virginia. Another was Kalopanax pictus that has proven to be very tough here; again huge old trees at the Arnold Arboretum in Boston. They sent me seeds and I passed the seedlings around in Nova Scotia and all are doing well.
I went back to that book as there was another tree, an extraordinary specimen of Zelkova carpinifolia growing in Devon, that I have always wondered about its hardiness.
johnw
I remember reading that Broussonetia (must remember, only one "t") was used as a street tree in New York. I've just planted out a Kalopanax pictus (septemlobus) in the garden as it had proved perfectly hardy in the nursery area. Pictus is on my wish list (I have an area of the garden devoted to Aralias and Kalopanax) as all are commonly used wild foraged food plants in east Asia.
I remember there's a 250 year old Zelkova carpinifolia at Kew...
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There is a Toona 'Flamingo' at Wisley (picture here- http://www.flickr.com/photos/33037982@N04/3511736064/)
I bought a young plant once but it died the first winter.
That is a remarkable colour of the new growth. I can't say I'd like to see it underplanted with orange azaleas though.
johnw
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Stephen - I am happy to hear the Broussonetia turned out to be hardier than expected. I first fell in love with it when Hugh Johnson's book on trees first came out in the 1970's. There was a remakable picture of it in that book. We saw huge trees on the main street in Williamburg, Virginia. Another was Kalopanax pictus that has proven to be very tough here; again huge old trees at the Arnold Arboretum in Boston. They sent me seeds and I passed the seedlings around in Nova Scotia and all are doing well.
I went back to that book as there was another tree, an extraordinary specimen of Zelkova carpinifolia growing in Devon, that I have always wondered about its hardiness.
johnw
Is pictus not the same as septemlobus? We have var. maximowicziana but after 10 years it is still a stick, no signs of branching. Certainly looks like a Cecropia.
johnw
I remember reading that Broussonetia (must remember, only one "t") was used as a street tree in New York. I've just planted out a Kalopanax septemlobus in the garden as it had proved perfectly hardy in the nursery area. Pictus is on my wish list (I have an area of the garden devoted to Aralias and Kalopanax) as all are commonly used wild foraged food plants in east Asia.
I remember there's a 250 year old Zelkova carpinifolia at Kew...
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Stephen - Which Paulownia did you grow? The one I grew here was P. koreana, at least that's how the Arnold Arboretum had it labelled from their Korean venture. Now I see it listed also as P. tomentosa v. koreana. It has been flowering in NS for 2 or 3 years. I swear every seed sprouted.
johnw
Paulownia tomentosa - I don't know anything else about it (I think I got the seed in a trade). I have a picture of P. tomentosa var coreana from the Hilliers Arboretum in Hampshire, UK (IPNI list this as a species P. coreana). Otherwise, I have pictures of the following seen in other botanical gardens in Europe: Paulownia fargesii, P. kawakamii and P. tomentosa "Lilacina".
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Pictus=septemlobus; Yes, you're perfectly correct - I actually discovered that last week but promptly forgot again; Too many plants too little memory...
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Stephen,
Paulownia tomentosa was going to be, I imagined, one of the victims of the harsh winter we have just experienced. You will be aware of its hollow stems and of how soft the wood is. I was amazed to see it come into leaf again with apparently no damage at all except, perhaps, to some very small outer twigs. Now, if the blasted thing would only go and flower for me. It is a most beautiful tree in flower.
Re edible trees: It came up in conversation here last week that we used pick and chew hawthorn, Crataegus monogyna, leaves when children and also the haws in the autumn.
Black Mustard, Brassica nigra, was a famine food here in Ireland in the 19th century and I find the Irish name applied to it a succinct comment on its palatability. The Irish name is Praiseach (Mess) Dhubh (black). Sums it up, I suppose.
Paddy
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Uli,
Your mention of a Toona cultivar called, "Flamingo" reminds me of Acer negundo 'Flamingo' which was a tree found in every garden centre here about twenty years ago. The young foliage was pink and white edged and was absolutely disgusting. So, the very name "Flamingo" would put me off seeking out this Toona cultivar.
Paddy
Paddy,
the Acer negundo 'Flamingo' don't grow happily in this area. I only know this tree from areas more continental. After some years the have a fungus infection and than grow backwards. I wonder because the A. negundo does it quit well here.
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Have anyone grow Paulownia elongata from China?
We grow it in the nursery, but the plants where mixed with P. tomentosa. Called to be the hardiest species of Paulownia. But can't tell more about it.
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[/quote]
Paddy,
the Acer negundo 'Flamingo' don't grow happily in this area. I only know this tree from areas more continental. After some years the have a fungus infection and than grow backwards. I wonder because the A. negundo does it quit well here.
[/quote]
Not surprising as while Acer negundo is generally tough as nails its range goes into California and this is where Flamingo was discovered.
johnw
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Not surprising as while Acer negundo is generally tough as nails its range goes into California and this is where Flamingo was discovered.
johnw
John: My impression of California as a warm place got a severe beating when I visited in August some 10-years ago. I was attending a meeting in Monterey. The sea was freezing (upwelling). Took a long day trip up into the Sierra Nevada and was shocked to find deep snow in the Lodgepole Pine forest on the way up. In August! Is there anywhere else where you can find deep snow in coniferous forest so late in the summer? I understood afterwards that it's an El-Nino related phenomenon - there's just so much snow in winter it takes all summer to melt...
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Stephen - I am happy to hear the Broussonetia turned out to be hardier than expected.
johnw
It turns out that it's even hardier than I had imagined as I've just discovered a couple of shoots high up in the plant which is about 1.5m high!! Yesss...
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Very good idea to take the trees in a special thread.
So many lovely trees you all showed here!
Here one of my miniature trees and a young Viburnum in flower
Tilia cordata Monto
Viburnum plicata Cascade
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Very good idea to take the trees in a special thread.
So many lovely trees you all showed here!
Here one of my miniature trees and a young Viburnum in flower
Tilia cordata Monto
Viburnum plicata Cascade
Luit, how tall will the Tilia cultivar eventually reach? It's rather fetching.
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Now that's a sensibly sized Tilia.
Mark - There was a very dwarf Norway Maple in front of the prop house at the Arnold Arboretum. Do you know if it's still there and its name?
johnw
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Stephen - I am happy to hear the Broussonetia turned out to be hardier than expected.
johnw
It turns out that it's even hardier than I had imagined as I've just discovered a couple of shoots high up in the plant which is abouit 1.5m high!! Yesss...
Stephen - Can you grow Robinia pseudoacacia? Someone from Norway told me they had no luck with it at all. They become very big trees here so that was a shock.
johnw
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Acer negundo 'Kelly's Gold'. Members in the USA will probably be amazed that I would give A. negundo garden space as I believe it is a weed species with you but they never seed about here.
It's quite nice to visit riverine hardwood forests of Acer negundo - Manitoba maple is the common name - where they occur on the Canadian prairies. Re. being "weedy", the rap against them, also in these parts, tends to be that they are attractive to aphids which feed on the plant juices and excrete honeydew... which falls on anything beneath the tree, and then is host to a black mold.
Not surprising as while Acer negundo is generally tough as nails its range goes into California and this is where Flamingo was discovered.
johnw
An even better indication of the hardiness of the species is that it is native to the Canadian prairies! :)
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An even better indication of the hardiness of the species is that it is native to the Canadian prairies! :)
[/quote]
Lori
But its hardiness is variable. The Acer is an impossible weed in Ontario but rather restrained here but fully hardy. Cornus florida which ranges from northenr New England into the mountains of Mexico. We cannot flower nor get the selections from Texas to live but a few years here - ie 'Cherokee Chief' etc.. The books say CC is hardy in Zone 5b yet they lump all the floridas in one basket. The northernmost ones are reliable on the coast here - Z6a/b.
johnw
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Luit, how tall will the Tilia cultivar eventually reach? It's rather fetching.
Mark, they told me 6 m. in 20 years. It's sold here as full standard tree too.
But I do like the more natural form! After 3 years it's just about 100 cms., so I believe it will reach the 6 m. earlier? ::) ::)
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Luit, how tall will the Tilia cultivar eventually reach? It's rather fetching.
Mark, they told me 6 m. in 20 years. It's sold here as full standard tree too.
But I do like the more natural form! After 3 years it's just about 100 cms., so I believe it will reach the 6 m. earlier? ::) ::)
the miniature is interesting!
we have a T cordata growing here very nicely, and i've been trying to find out how tall it should get, as i don't really want a giant shade tree where its growing..i read european mentions of a large tree indeed, but a saskatchewan reference (i don't remember the exact details now) to a much smaller tree... i'd rather not start hacking at it if i don't have to, since it has such a nice shape...
it was trialled in alberta along with various others, and was marginally hardy at some sites, but is doing well here, no signs of damage..
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Stephen - Can you grow Robinia pseudoacacia? Someone from Norway told me they had no luck with it at all. They become very big trees here so that was a shock.
johnw
John: I haven't tried it, but it has a reputation of not being easy and I doubt very much it would make it in my climate. Shouldn't really compare our climate zones with North American, so I won't, but I'm in Norwegian zone H4-5 (min. -25C) whereas the best zone is H1. Robinia pseudoacacia is supposed to be OK for zones H1-H2. However, Robinia x ambigua 'Decaisneana' has proven hardy in this area. A friend who lives near to the airport in Trondheim (near me) has a good sized tree and I've been offered a root cutting, but it's a bit too invasive for my liking! Here's a couple of pictures from his garden:
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Robinia are wonderful for foliage and I love the flower panicles too.... R. pseudoacacia is a particular favourite because of the acid yellow glow which looks wonderful against any sky but particularly a blue one :D The only trouble is it grows to 80 feet high I believe :o
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Thought you might like Robinia Robin, for some reason or another ;)
Has Robinia naturalised in your area (I know you have...)?
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Robinia pseudoacacia has an interesting history here in the USA, originally with relatively restricted distribution, it has spread to nearly every part of USA and is considered a noxious weed species in some States, as it is in my State of Massachusetts where sale of the plant is prohibited. Its invasiveness is not restricted to North America, but is also listed as invasive in some European areas, such as in Poland.
When the trees are in bloom, one realizes just how widespread it is, it is EVERYWHERE. Here are some links that purveyors of Robinia might find interesting:
Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robinia_pseudoacacia
More useful is this USDA Plant Profile
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ROPS
Global Invasive Species Database
http://www.issg.org/database/species/ecology.asp?si=572
One that I have admired in the past, is the smaller shrubby R. hispida. This one is particularly common near coastal areas here, liking the sandy soil found in these areas, but the species can grow anywhere and is widespread. It has a similar story as R. pseudoacacia in terms of distribution, R. hispida was initially native to several southeastern US States but has spread and can be found throughout much of the country now, and including southeastern Canada. This species is highly variable, in some forms the very large showy "blousy" clusters of rich pink bloom covering low (1-2 meter) thickets of stems, in other forms, the floral display is not nearly as good. Out of bloom, I do not find the irregular messy thickets particularly attractive. The species, like many Robinia species, suckers strongly, and many people who have tried cultivating this species, complain of its terrible invasiveness.
Robinia hispida
http://www.google.com/#hl=en&q=robinia+hispida&aq=f&aqi=g3g-m1&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=&fp=19d13023017841d
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bristly_locust
http://www.missouriplants.com/Pinkalt/Robinia_hispida_page.html
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Mark - I love the bark on the Robinia which to me resembles wet cement that someone has pulled a pointed trowel from top to bottom. I see a few seedlings around local trees - mainly in our drier sandier counties - but never see the masses as with hispida nor the incredible suckering habit of the latter.
johnw
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Mark - I love the bark on the Robinia which to me resembles wet cement that someone has pulled a pointed trowel from top to bottom. I see a few seedlings around local trees - mainly in our drier sandier counties - but never see the masses as with hispida nor the incredible suckering habit of the latter.
johnw
John, there is much to like about Robinia, they are rather fetching in bloom, and as you mention, the bark, but their global track-record speaks of other concerns or dangers regarding invasiveness in general that needs consideration. With R. pseudoacacia, it has more to do with spread by seeding, much the way Paulownia tomentosa has become an invasive weed tree in parts of the mid-Atlantic States that I'm familiar with... witnessing its glorious invasion (glorious on account of the beautiful purple-blue flowers) first hand driving along hundreds of mile of highway where the roadside habitat has been usurped by aggressive alien flora. One can be mindful of differing climates that can mitigate the invasiveness, for example; Paulownia reaches its northern hardiness range in New England, and the trees are rare, and would be most unlikely to ever become invasive in this climate, but not far away further south, it's another story.
With R. hispida, all that I have ever seen of this species (and I've seen and admired it a lot), is that it invariably grows into wide-spreading thickets, certainly some looking more menacing and aggressive (gorgeous in flower though) than in other locations.
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Mark - I guess it's a case of one man's weed. I doubt I'll see the day that Paulownia seedling will make it the next year here. Still lovely to see them along the freeways in NY and NJ.
I was just in St. John's and their weed tree is Laburnum alpinum, it's everywhere. There is a steep cliff near one of the downtown interchanges that must have a thousand tree cascading down. A perfectly sight until the leaves turn black in late autumn.
johnw
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On Thursday night, before a very interesting lecture by Charles Notcutt on Trees & Landscapes of the Americas, covering parts of Chile, Colorado and Washington State, I spent almost an hour in the Cruickshank Botanic Garden in Aberdeen.
While my main interest is alpines I like most plants. Here are a number of trees and shrubs which caught my eye.
A very colourful corner of the Terrace with Wisteria, Ribes speciosum, Crinodendron hookerianum and Embothrium coccineum (the wall behind is about 8 foot high)
Closeup of Ribes speciosum
Crinodendron hookerianum and
Embothrium coccineum in another part of the garden
Laburnum with Enkianthus campanulatus
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A few more
Azara lanceolata
Magnolia wilsonii
and for Lesley Juniperus recurvus coxii
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Another shrub and a small tree
Chiliotrichum diffusum
A cristate form of Cryptomeria japonica
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A few more
Azara lanceolata
Roma, lovely Azara. One on my wish list. How hardy is it?
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Roma, Azara lanceolata and Chiliotrichum diffusum seem most interesting, not familiar with either genus I had to look them up. Can you speak about the hardiness of not only the species, but the genus Azara and Chiliotrichum in general? I am assuming that neither would be growable outdoors in USDA Zone 5 in norther New England, USA.
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I spent a few hours yesterday at the Forst Botanischen Garten, in Cologne, where they have a monstrous collections of trees and shrubs. As this arbouretum was not well maintained after the wars, it has quite a few no-IDed plants, as well as many rarely seen trees as mature specimens. The Rhododenron collection is to die for!
Elaeagnus angustifolia in bloom. The scent was like a honey waterfall.
Fagus sylvaticus asplenifolia - unfortunately, in deep shade, thus p-poor foto. Very cool foliage!
A shot of the main needle tree planting
Larix ?, I don't know the species.
Pinus wallichiana - no sign, but looks like it.
P. wallichiana - cones immature
P. wallichiana - cones matured
Pseudolarix amabile - truly beautiful tree
Toxodium distichum 'Nutans' - another absolute beauty. Very fastigiate.
unk fir - no sign
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I spent a few hours yesterday at the Forst Botanischen Garten, in Cologne, where they have a monstrous collections of trees and shrubs. As this arbouretum was not well maintained after the wars, it has quite a few no-IDed plants, as well as many rarely seen trees as mature specimens. The Rhododenron collection is to die for!
Elaeagnus angustifolia in bloom. The scent was like a honey waterfall.
Fagus sylvaticus asplenifolia - unfortunately, in deep shade, thus p-poor foto. Very cool foliage!
A shot of the main needle tree planting
Larix ?, I don't know the species.
Pinus wallichiana - no sign, but looks like it.
P. wallichiana - cones immature
P. wallichiana - cones matured
Pseudolarix amabile - truly beautiful tree
Toxodium distichum 'Nutans' - another absolute beauty. Very fastigiate.
unk fir - no sign
looks like a wonderful place--great to see mature plantings--the flashy blue and green 'foliage' you showed in the other thread just adds to it--must add some noise too!
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unk fir - no sign
Jamie,
the unknown fir looks like Picea breweriana.
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Luit, Mark,
Don't know very much about the Azara. It has been in the Garden since 2005. ( I retired in 2004) It is planted on a South facing slope in a free draining sandy soil. The garden is less than a mile from the sea so tends to be milder than it is further inland. It would still have got very cold this last winter. It got down to -14 in my garden which is about 10 miles further inland. The plant came from Kirkdale Nursery in Aberdeenshire.
The Chiliotrichum was in the Garden when I started working there in 1977. It seems quite tough. It will grow away when cut well back as I did a couple of times when it was getting too big. According to my elderly copy of Hillier's Manual of Trees and Shrubs some selections are hardier than others. It is related to Olearia.
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Azara microphylla: evergreen ( :o ) fragrant ( :D ) hardier ( 8) ) and there is a variegated form too ( ;D ).
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Phillips & Rix described in there book "Shrubs" that Azara lanceolata is hardy to -5 degree. After the last winter this plant does not exist any more ???
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Some conifers from my meadow garden. They look good all over the year, but the fresh colour of the new
growth in spring is simply amazing. Most of them were planted more than 25 years ago as small cuttings
or young crafts.
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Rudi, magnificent conifers, I particularly like the Picea inversa. I can see "faces" in some of them :)
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Flowers about to open.
Off to the TV for you know what.
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Arnold,
I am having a great laugh at your photograph because I have been watching Evodia daniellii in the garden where it is about to flower for the first time and each time I look at it I think of you - you posted a photograph of the tree in flower some time back and I have been looking forward to seeing mine.
I had always thought it was red flowered, just a stray unfounded thought I had but it seems to be white flowers which are about to come here. I'll post when they open - I think yours are ahead of mine so you should post first.
Paddy
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Paddy:
You'll be amazed at the bees that will visit the plant. It must have some bee steroid or something.
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One of our favourite trees is the Mexican Hawthorn which is partly (?mostly?) deciduous and is adorned with golden fruit till it falls in mid winter. For some reason the birds don't attack it the way they demolish most other fruits!
cheers
fermi
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Super example, Fermi ...
Here is a super Larix kaempferi pendula (Japanese Weeping Larch) we encountered at Broken Arrow Nursery in Connecticut. The label mentioned the date 1960 but how old it was when it was planted is anyone's guess.
LARIX KAEMPFERI PENDULA
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One more try and then I'm going to have a drink.
edit by maggi : it worked!!
Evodia with bees
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Super example, Fermi ...
Here is a super Larix kaempferi pendula (Japanese Weeping Larch) we encountered at Broken Arrow Nursery in Connecticut. The label mentioned the date 1960 but how old it was when it was planted is anyone's guess.
LARIX KAEMPFERI PENDULA
Wow Cliff, that is surely super fantastic... love it! But my wife would have a conniption fit if I planted something so... how should I put it... extremely artistic, in our front yard.
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Not a tree, but a very nice shrub in our garden:
Bupleurum fruticosum
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In the last week of June I saw in a park in Vienna this yellow flowering small tree.
Definitely one I want to add to my collection when I find it :)
Paliurus spina-christii
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Luit,
can you wait 5 days? Then my colleague from the greenhouse is back from holiday. We have Paliurus spina-christii in the nursery. But I don't know if we have made new cuttings last year. When I found the plant I can send you one.
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Luit,
Paliurus from Croatia didn't survive the winters here in my region outside!
Uli,
Is your provenance of that plant hardy in your region?
Gerd
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Gerd,
it comes from your area. Arboretum Haerle (Bonn). It survived last winter in a pot -10 Celsius and by a colleague in the garden -15 Celsius.
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Luit,
can you wait 5 days? Then my colleague from the greenhouse is back from holiday. We have Paliurus spina-christii in the nursery. But I don't know if we have made new cuttings last year. When I found the plant I can send you one.
Uli, only 5 days waiting for such a rarity? THAT IS PEANUTS isn't it? :D :D
Gerd, I hope my coastal climate will help, but a young plant will need some cover maybe? - 15C is possible here too and with strong N.E. winds.
But when it grows in E. Friesland, why not here?
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Luit,
it is not the temperature that is the limit for such plants? The wet autumn and winter kill more of the "Mediterranean" plants than the low temperature.
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I took a picture of Paliurus in flower in the Hilliers Arboretum in Hampshire, UK just last week :) The fruits (nutlets) are also quite attractive - remember seeing it in fruit at Kew one year.
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Stephen, I see there are more people with the same (good) taste ;D ;D
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Thanks for the 'conifer' thread, I just love these trees, but they are certainly not 'in vogue' in this country at the moment. I still have a copy of Adrian Bloom's Conifers for your garden on my bookshelf and this thread has made me get it down to read once more. I aspire to have a garden of nothing but conifers one day.
In some of the older gardens and parks around Pietermaritzburg there is a common species of cyprus (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana?) which serves as the unwitting host to one of our indigenous epiphytic orchid species, Mystacidium capense. During the summer months thousands of these little orchids covering the branches can turn whole trees white with their blossoms.
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Luit,
can you wait 5 days? Then my colleague from the greenhouse is back from holiday. We have Paliurus spina-christii in the nursery. But I don't know if we have made new cuttings last year. When I found the plant I can send you one.
Uli, only 5 days waiting for such a rarity? THAT IS PEANUTS isn't it? :D :D
Gerd, I hope my coastal climate will help, but a young plant will need some cover maybe? - 15C is possible here too and with strong N.E. winds.
But when it grows in E. Friesland, why not here?
Luit,
found the plants. Send you a PM.
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In some of the older gardens and parks around Pietermaritzburg there is a common species of cyprus (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana?) which serves as the unwitting host to one of our indigenous epiphytic orchid species, Mystacidium capense. During the summer months thousands of these little orchids covering the branches can turn whole trees white with their blossoms.
I'm speechless at this delightful prospect.... how pretty these orchids are!
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Rogan,
You have shown me the second good use of Lawson's Cypress - as a host for those beautiful orchids. My previous one good use was as firewood. I hate nearly all "conifers".
Paddy
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A few trees/shrubs from the garden today and still hoping that my Evodia daniellii's flowers will open before Arnold's, a sort of trans-Atlantic flower competition!
Abies koreana
Crinodendron patagua
Eucryphia x nymansay
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And, a few more. Paddy
Evodia daniellii - like the watched kettle, these flowers seem like they will never open. This is its first time flowering for me, grown from seed, and I am impatient to see them.
Feijoa sellowiana - looking a bit tatty as the flowers are going over very quickly
Hoheria sexstylosa - this tree was cut to the ground by the hard frosts of this winter but one side branch, shooting from the base, survived and is now covered with flower.
Indigofera gerardiana
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Paddy, nice selection of trees and shrubs, some are new to me, and some are most likely too tender for my climate... I'll just have to admire them from afar. One I did grow for a number years in a "foundation planting" in front of my house was Indigofera gerardiana (syn. heterantha). It is one of those "pea shrubs" that dies down to the ground each year, and resprouts in spring growing quickly and producing those attractive flowers. It was beginning to outgrow its allotted space and one spring it did not come back. I did not fill the void as other plantings were maturing and filled in nicely.
Based on the size of your plants seen in the last photo, was some or all of the woody stems winter hardy, rather than regrowing from the ground each year?
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Paddy:
Your Evodia is not the sames a mine. The stems of the leaves and flower stems are markedly different.
I know there is another Evodia hupehensis
http://en.academic.ru/dic.nsf/enwiki/250794
http://www.kraeuterallerlei.de/der-bienenbaum-die-honigreiche-bienenpflanze/
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Also Eucryphia is the source of the wonderful leatherwood honey from Tasmania.
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Feijoa sellowiana - looking a bit tatty as the flowers are going over very quickly
I've always admired Feijoa when I've seen it in gardens in the UK and would love one day to try the fruit which is described as tasting like a cross between strawberry and pineapple. According to the Plants for a Future database, the flowers are also good to eat: "The petals are sweet, crisp and delicious, they taste more like a fruit than many fruits"
Do you get ripe fruit, Paddy? (I see that it ripens quite late). There are also a number of cultivars developed for the fruit but these don't seem to be available in the UK.
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Mark,
Indigofera gerardiana is perfectly hardy here and comfortable enough to seed about. In fact, I have to cut it back each year as it is a spreading bush and inclined to elbow in on its neighbours.
Arnold, I'll have to "key out" my Evodia/Tetradium at some stage to establish its identity definitely. The bees certainly enjoy the eucryphia and the flowers are covered in bees. I have a number euchrphias in the garden, even a variegated one and two pink-flowered cultivars also. I didn't realise it was called "leatherwood". I grow a north American shrub which is called "leatherwood" - Dirca palustris. Are you familiar with this one. I haven't got it to flowering size yet though I have plants for nearly ten years now and have even lost a few due, I think, to wet soil.
Stephen, On previous good summers I have had ripe fruit and found it pleasant. I wouldn't delight in the taste to the extent of the description you posted but it certainly is interesting to have it.
Paddy
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Lovely pictures Paddy but you've made me miss my Hoheria. We had the cultivar H. sexstylosa 'Stardust' at the front of the house. I was told it would get to 6ft but it kept going and when we got subsidence problems (the fault of our heavy clay soil and a huge crack willow at the back not the Hoheria) the surveyor told me it would have to go. This time of year it was a million honey scented stars and humming with bees and hoverflies. It was cut right to ground level but is reshooting.....
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Gail,
You seem to have it planted very much in the "shade tree" tradition of USA gardens. Lovely tree.
Paddy
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The tree, Eucryphia lucida is the source of the leatherwood honey. A must try if you can find it.
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Also Eucryphia is the source of the wonderful leatherwood honey from Tasmania.
I found this UK source for it....
http://www.goodnessdirect.co.uk/cgi-local/frameset/detail/672300_Rowse_Tasmanian_Leatherwood_Honey__Set__340g.html
Will be trying this out!
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Maggi,
I followed the link above to look at the tree and found instead a jar of honey. Ah, well, it was a sweet disappointment.
Paddy
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Edit by Maggi:
This quote is a compilation from another thread to introduce some posts which I will move here.....
Quote from: Paddy Tobin
Quote from: alpines
It's definitely Aruncus dioicus ...grows all over Kentucky too.
Grows in Ireland too but behaves itself well. Peculiarly, my wife likes the flowers as they fade to a rusty brown, something I cannot understand and I am under strict instructions not to cut them off each year.
Paddy
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I think I do understand, it is a plant that is gracefully senescent when passing out of flower. It reminds me somewhat of Eremurus stenophyllus... where I really liked the effect of the bright yellow flowers going over to complimentary brown.
Mark McDonough
Massachusetts, USA, near the New Hampshire border, USDA Zone 5
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While I harbour a wish to grow old as disgracefully as possible myself, I have certain sympathies with plants that achieve that with some grace..... I draw your attention to a thread in the NARGS Forum (McMark knows it, already, of course) on the subject.... "Senescent with dignity! "
http://nargs.org/smf/index.php?topic=336.0
Margaret Young in Aberdeen, North East Scotland Zone 8a
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Mary regularly describes plants/flowers as "dies well" or "dies badly". She has promised me a good bottle of wine and the choicest spot on the compost heap when my time comes.
Paddy
Mark:
When I first moved to the mild Pacific Northwest (Seattle Washington area) in the early 1980s, one of my greatest disillusions was with Camellia, a genus I always imagined growing, but they're not hardy enough this far north in New England. This is not a blanket observation, as some species and cultivars are better than others (C. sasanqua is nice), but many cultivars have both fresh flowers and ugly spent lingering among the branches simultaneously. One cultivar in particular, a large-flowered fully double white, had flowers that "die badly" indeed, a long season of fresh white pristine flowers, and at the same time, the branches laden with persistent mashy brown blobs of spent flowers at varying stages of decay, in no particular hurry to drop off.
It became a staple of my garden slide presentations to show such Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Camellias, trees that are beautiful and ugly at the same time. Maybe they have better "self-cleaning" cultivars these days? Shortly I will show a plant I like much better, Stewartia pseudocamellia :D
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When I first moved to the mild Pacific Northwest (Seattle Washington area) in the early 1980s, one of my greatest disillusions was with Camellia,
Those decaying brown camellia flowers are due to a fungal disease that arrived in the PacNW within living memory. Most camellia owners can't be bothered with the necessary hygiene (picking off browning flowers and carefully cleaning up any that fall to the ground), so the disease perpetuates itself once it's infected a plant.
Something like black spot in roses in terms of hygiene and control.
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Rodger,
This browning of camellia flowers, particularly those which flower here early in the year, also occurs after frosts and white flowers seem most prone to this damage.
Paddy
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When I first moved to the mild Pacific Northwest (Seattle Washington area) in the early 1980s, one of my greatest disillusions was with Camellia,
Those decaying brown camellia flowers are due to a fungal disease that arrived in the PacNW within living memory. Most camellia owners can't be bothered with the necessary hygiene (picking off browning flowers and carefully cleaning up any that fall to the ground), so the disease perpetuates itself once it's infected a plant.
Something like black spot in roses in terms of hygiene and control.
Rodger, in infected plants, does the flower open normally? On mine, they had gorgeous white flowers, and it seemed that they just tend to "hang on" rather than drop off when the flower goes over. Thinking back on my tree, well over the eaves of my house, it would not be possible practically speaking, to remove the hundreds of spent flowers among the hundreds of good flowers, on an every day or every other day basis. There were perhaps a dozen large camellia trees in my yard, one would need a staff of several people for several months to perform the necessary hygiene.
Note to Maggi... talking about how the Aruncus flowers goes over, and now onto a corollary example with camellia, perhaps this portion of the thread should be moved to the Trees in parks thread.
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Good thinking McMark!
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The tree, Eucryphia lucida is the source of the leatherwood honey. A must try if you can find it.
I was in Tasmania in the early 90s (work ;)) and guess what I brought back to Norway? Then I discovered that it was actually illegal to import honey to Norway! Please don't tell..
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Winter 2008 I was on a Landscape Architect garden tour from my office, at a local historic cemetery/botanic garden (Mt. Auburn Cemetery, near Boston Massachusetts), to identity trees in the winter. There were fallen seed pods under a huge Albizzia julibrissin, picked up a few pods, then sowed them in summer after forgetting about them. I chose to try seed of this, because these were surely grown from Arnold Arboreteum seed, representing a hardier form of this sometimes tender species. Here it is a year later, and I have several your 1-year old trees growing quickly.
I'm not sure I have enough room for this, while I still have approximately 1 acre of open space, I still have many trees in pots, scheduled to be planted out, with room for only so many. But I love the foliage, so lacy and neat, and each night, they close up, how cool is that? So, I'm wondering if the foliage closes up at night on mature trees... anyone else grow this? I know in some climates, this can be a weedy species, but being at the northerly end of its hardiness range here, probably not a concern. I also assume the canopy is more airy and open than larger-leaf trees, so would still permit plants to grow under it. Your experiences with this tree are appreciated.
Lastly, I did not see this tree in bloom having harvested fallen seed in winter, it's probably blooming now, but the cemetery is about 40 miles away. The flower puffs of Albizzia range in color from dull pinks, to good pinks and some beautiful reds... althoigh some pink tone is typical.
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Mark,
A reminder of the beautiful flowers of Albizia. I'm afraid I don't grow this here as it would be too tender for our conditions but I saw it in full flower a few weeks ago in Italy.
Paddy
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Mark,
A reminder of the beautiful flowers of Albizia. I'm afraid I don't grow this here as it would be too tender for our conditions but I saw it in full flower a few weeks ago in Italy.
Paddy
Nice to see the "flower puffs" as I call them. Some nurseries in the area are selling a variety of A. julibrissin with near black foliage, a stunning foil for the pink flowers, although I have since been told by two individuals who have tried it, it is not hardy here. I found the name of this black-leaf form, 'Summer Chocolate', and on the following site listed as Zone 7 (I'm in Zone 5).
http://www.forestfarm.com/product.php?id=443
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I have said it before on this forum, but I'll say it again, if I could only grow two trees, they would be Oxydendron arboreum (Sourwood Tree) and Stewartia psuedocamellia. The Oxydendron has been a feature in my garden for a couple months now, covered with drooping-swooping branched sprays of tiny white bells, but the flowering effect enhanced by the floral pedicels & stems also being white, remain visually effective as if still flowering for many months.
Within the next couple weeks, I expect a mahogany leaf color to permeate the foliage, it always starts its color early, then changing over to a deep red or orange color, still accentuated with the persistent white floral structures. My tree is about 15 or 16 years old since I planted it as a 5' whip, a very slow growing tree, particularly when grown in dry soil such as I have. A couple years ago, I believe the tree has finally "tapped in", reaching a root maturity and depth, that it has started growing faster. The tree is tap-rooted and very late to leaf, so makes an excellent under-canopy home to species crocus, frits, and tulipa.
The Pieris-like white flowers smell varying of sweet baby-powder or talcum, to a slightly "off" or stinky talcum scent, but only perceptible at close range. There are still a few tiny bells open on the tree, 7 weeks since it started flowering, the tree visited reliably each day by hummingbirds (hardly seems worth the effort, to get any nectar out of such minuscule flowers).
Only one small problem with this great all-around winner, in our area it seems to mildly attract tent caterpillars (although not as bad as with other more favored host trees). Found three tents starting this year, easy to remove and bag when first sighted, more difficult if left too long and the webby tents envelope whole branches. In more urban areas, such as trees I saw in Cambridge, Massachusetts (on the grounds of Harvard University) and in Boston last week, showed no sign of the pest. But overall, this tree has it ALL GOING ON. :D
Last, I provide the USDA profile page for this tree. The tree is native throughout much of eastern USA, coming very close to little ol' Massachusetts. The USDA site and the CalPhotos site somehow managed to only include lousy ugly pictures of one of the nation's most photogenic trees ::)
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=OXAR
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Scanning through the last 3 years of autumn photos, the fall color on Oxydendron arboreum can vary somewhat, but always first class. Here are pics taken in 2007, 2008, & 2009.
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Certainly, a beautiful tree, Mark.
Paddy
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I've always fancied having one of these, but mainly for its reputed sorrel tasting leaves (have you tried them, Mark - probably young ones are best) - no doubt it would have been a pot plant as it's probably not hardy enough and I suppose it likes acid soil (ericaceae)? I've tried it from seed twice, but both times the plants have just stopped after transplanting (the second time with ericaceous compost). probably your comment about the tap root is the clue, probably resenting being moved?
I saw quite a large specimen at RHS Harlow Carr in Yorkshire a few years ago.
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Stephen,
Like you, I failed with plants from seed - must try again.
Another North American tree I have always wanted to grown, and have tried from seed a few times, is Sassafras albidum. I love its odd leaf shape and, of course, I could have made my own root beer in time.
Paddy
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I grow this tree and find it completely hardy but alas it has never flowered as I think the summers that we experience are not hot enough.Hoewever,it retains its place in the garden purely on the attraction of its lovely delicate fern-like foliage.It was nice to see a picture of what it might look like if ever it produces flowers.
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Stephen,
Like you, I failed with plants from seed - must try again.
Another North American tree I have always wanted to grown, and have tried from seed a few times, is Sassafras albidum. I love its odd leaf shape and, of course, I could have made my own root beer in time.
Paddy
Yes, Sassafras is notoriously difficult to move and I've failed in the past, but this year I finally planted out one in the garden (very carefully). I've been a bit in doubt as to of it's the real thing as the leaves have so far been plain shaped, but now (picture) a few of them have an irregular indented shape and they are also aromatic, so maybe it is - just hope it will make it through its first winter...
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I grow this tree and find it completely hardy but alas it has never flowered as I think the summers that we experience are not hot enough.Hoewever,it retains its place in the garden purely on the attraction of its lovely delicate fern-like foliage.It was nice to see a picture of what it might look like if ever it produces flowers.
.
Correction!!I have just walked round the garden between showers and much to my amazement I have flower-buds all over my Abizzia.I am truly elated and surprised and happy to be proved wrong in my assumption and cannot wait to see the flowers as I have only previously seen Paddy's picture.
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How exciting, John... what a treat to have the flowers "sneak up on you" like that !
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I've always fancied having one of these, but mainly for its reputed sorrel tasting leaves (have you tried them, Mark - probably young ones are best) - no doubt it would have been a pot plant as it's probably not hardy enough and I suppose it likes acid soil (ericaceae)? I've tried it from seed twice, but both times the plants have just stopped after transplanting (the second time with ericaceous compost). probably your comment about the tap root is the clue, probably resenting being moved?
Stephen, I can confirm that the tree does not like transplanting or major root disturbance, although a potted tree should move just fine when planted out into a final position. This tree should be hardy, but since it ranges from northern US States all the way down to the southern most States, I wonder if some forms are hardier than others. In the years I've grown this (approx 16 yrs) I've never found any die-back that I would consider winter-kill, just the normal smaller twigs and minor internal branches that die off (self-pruning) that most trees do as the outer canopy increases and shades the internal branching. I have experienced young trees that didn't overwinter, I think they're susceptible to winter kill until they've "tapped in" and become firmly established.
I haven't tried the "sorrel tasting leaves", I wonder if the leaves are loaded with oxylates as true sorrel is, which I make a point to avoid being that I've had kidney stones in the past.
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Correction!!I have just walked round the garden between showers and much to my amazement I have flower-buds all over my Abizzia.I am truly elated and surprised and happy to be proved wrong in my assumption and cannot wait to see the flowers as I have only previously seen Paddy's picture.
John, show us pictures when the flowers open!
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Stephen,
Another North American tree I have always wanted to grown, and have tried from seed a few times, is Sassafras albidum. I love its odd leaf shape and, of course, I could have made my own root beer in time.
Paddy
Yes, Sassafras is notoriously difficult to move and I've failed in the past, but this year I finally planted out one in the garden (very carefully). I've been a bit in doubt as to of it's the real thing as the leaves have so far been plain shaped, but now (picture) a few of them have an irregular indented shape and they are also aromatic, so maybe it is - just hope it will make it through its first winter...
I have never thought of even trying Sassafras; I suppose it is one of those trees that grows everywhere around here, so one doesn't bother trying to cultivate them. There are none on my property, but there are some trees down the street a few hundred feet away. They are notorious suckering plants, not always making the best specimens. But after being featured on this thread, and reading up on Sassafras on Wikipedia and other sites, it's a fascinating plant in terms of the chemicals and compounds found in parts of the tree, and its many uses.
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Mark,
I have always found the Sassafras a fascinating plant mainly because of the uses made of it by people in N. America. Also, I realise it is not the most beautiful of trees but it is interesting nonetheless.
John, how fabulous that the albizia is going to flower. Brilliant! Photographs in due time.
Paddy
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Mark,
I have always found the Sassafras a fascinating plant mainly because of the uses made of it by people in N. America. Also, I realise it is not the most beautiful of trees but it is interesting nonetheless.
Paddy
I agree Sassafras is a fascinating plant. Just the simple fact alone that a tree can have three leaf forms (I like the single-lobed "mitten" shape best) is intriguing. And the fall color, outstanding. I guess what I was saying, that the discussion in the forum opens my eyes to things that I take for granted because this plant is common and found all around me. By the way, a friend of mine who gardens about 18 miles north of me in Southern New Hampshire has Sassafras all over his property, and he selected one years ago, pruned and nurtured as a single trunk specimen and given room to develop, and it's a fine specimen indeed, much better than the smaller sapling-sized shoots one sees in crowded mixed deciduous-evergreen woodlands in our area.
http://www.uni-graz.at/~katzer/engl/Sass_alb.html
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A plate of jambalaya would be nice now.
Paddy
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For once I'm not that hungry.... this, on the other hand, brings back lots of memories.... My late Mother was a great fan of Hank Williams .....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnKOVPXhlnE
but out of kindness to David Nicholson, here's Emmylou..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6WD1yzQscE&feature=related ;)
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Maggi,
I think I'll stick to the food - chicken and prawn jambalaya, please.
Paddy
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Another tree that surprised me with its hardiness (and I don't think it has been mentioned before) I saw first in a botanical garden in Hawaii, the Paper Mulberry, Broussonetia papyrifera. Surely a tree commonly grown for its bark fiber in the Pacific Islands would survive my Norwegian winter - sounded absurd... Well, I found a seed source and thought I would try it as a pot plant as it has really interesting foliage. They germinated, but I left the plant in the garden one winter. Miraculously, it survived! I later discovered that the tree actually originated in northern China, hence its hardiness. I had it for 6 years, it flowered at about 1-2m high but died that winter which wasn't that extreme. I had had 2 trees originally and after my discovery gave one to the botanics here. Luckily, they still had it and they took cuttings for me and returned the tree to me. The last time I had it for 5 years, but it now seems to have died again in this hard winter. A couple of pictures of the leaves below, the last one from a tree at Kruidtuin, Leuven in Belgium:
I wrote about my Broussonetia in the spring and told you that it was probably dead. That was a bit premature as part of the tree did pull through and is now growing strongly. Here are a couple of leaf pictures today. Like Sassafras, it has various leaf forms:
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For once I'm not that hungry.... this, on the other hand, brings back lots of memories.... My late Mother was a great fan of Hank Williams .....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnKOVPXhlnE
but out of kindness to David Nicholson, here's Emmylou..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6WD1yzQscE&feature=related ;)
Cor. I'd missed this one, one of my favourite ladies.
Apologies to Stephen for mucking up his thread but.......... here's my favourite lady with one of my all time favourite songs. The guy who wrote it, Rodney Crowell, is the tall guitarist on the right of Emmylou.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMR4ZU1noI4&feature=related
and, as it's such a good song (well in my view anyway) here's Albert Lee's version as a bonus
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tHT754EqzE&feature=related
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For once I'm not that hungry.... this, on the other hand, brings back lots of memories.... My late Mother was a great fan of Hank Williams .....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnKOVPXhlnE
but out of kindness to David Nicholson, here's Emmylou..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6WD1yzQscE&feature=related ;)
Cor. I'd missed this one, one of my favourite ladies.
Apologies to Stephen for mucking up his thread but.......... here's my favourite lady with one of my all time favourite songs. The guy who wrote it, Rodney Crowell, is the tall guitarist on the right of Emmylou.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMR4ZU1noI4&feature=related
and, as it's such a good song (well in my view anyway) here's Albert Lee's version as a bonus
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tHT754EqzE&feature=related
Big fans of Albert Lee here, as it happens!
nice to sit under a good tree and have some fine music, isn't it? 8)
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Maggi,
My son is out for your head. He's a bit of a music snob - anything that he doesn't like is rubbish. So, your posting above of a few days ago started me off humming and singing and that started Mary on the same and he was almost ready to leave home - I simply sang louder and hoped but he stayed.
Paddy
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I'll come and stay to sing for a few days, Paddy... that'll shift him! ;D
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Apologies to Stephen for mucking up his thread but.......... here's my favourite lady with one of my all time favourite songs. The guy who wrote it, Rodney Crowell, is the tall guitarist on the right of Emmylou.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMR4ZU1noI4&feature=related
and, as it's such a good song (well in my view anyway) here's Albert Lee's version as a bonus
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tHT754EqzE&feature=related
No problem, love to see Albert Lee play and have been lucky enough to have seen him live several times myself, going way back to Heads, Hands and Feet in the 70s and in recent years in Trondheim (3 or 4 times)!
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One of our favourite trees is the Mexican Hawthorn which is partly (?mostly?) deciduous and is adorned with golden fruit till it falls in mid winter. For some reason the birds don't attack it the way they demolish most other fruits!
cheers
fermi
i like this one!
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Not a tree, but a very nice shrub in our garden:
Bupleurum fruticosum
another very nice one--i think over time i'd like to have lots of interesting shrubs--nice contrast to my usual taste of 2cm tall plants ;D
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In some of the older gardens and parks around Pietermaritzburg there is a common species of cyprus (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana?) which serves as the unwitting host to one of our indigenous epiphytic orchid species, Mystacidium capense. During the summer months thousands of these little orchids covering the branches can turn whole trees white with their blossoms.
I'm speechless at this delightful prospect.... how pretty these orchids are!
i second that!
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Buddleja lindleyana.
At Rousham today.
To give you a sense of scale, it's in one of the pots infront of the shed.
Should be hardy in a sheltered spot.
(as for the B.colvilei I posted a while back)
And a Hydrangea aspera Villosa Group (a favourite shrub).
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Giles,
Buddleja lindleyana has survived the last four winters in these area.
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Giles I too have had Buddleja lindleyana outside in a fairly exposed position for the last three years.
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Interesting to hear of the Buddleja lindleyana being tougher than I might have guessed.
The Hydrangea is lovely!
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Giles I too have had Buddleja lindleyana outside in a fairly exposed position for the last three years.
...which is why I planted the Edgeworthia next to it - sods law, it didn't survive!
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Correction!!I have just walked round the garden between showers and much to my amazement I have flower-buds all over my Abizzia.I am truly elated and surprised and happy to be proved wrong in my assumption and cannot wait to see the flowers as I have only previously seen Paddy's picture.
John, show us pictures when the flowers open!
The albizzia has been in flower for about two weeks but I have to say my wife and I are most dissappointed.I have been waiting for it to look like Paddy's photo but I decided to take a picture anyway as it doesn't look as though it is going to improve.The flowers look rather like a dandelion seed head(clock) with only the faintest tinge of pink on their tips and they only appear one at a time from the multi-budded corymb.However,the foliage forms a very light canopy and one can grow anything beneath it so it is still a worthwhile occupant of its space and I shall continue to hope that it may develope if the weather continues warm and sunny.
The eucryphia 'Rostrevor' is altogether different and is covering itself with its flowers.
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Not being an habitual reader of the forum during the Summer I only discovered this link recently and have just ben catching up with the previous 10 pages as trees are a particular passion of mine and with a few exceptions I grow most of those mentioned but my lasting impression of the 14 pages of posts is Paddy's aversion/hate of all things coniferous.That is in spite of Abies pungens,Abies koreana,Cedrus atlantica and a couple more I think appearing in his posts.I share some of his obervations but surely he must agree that they add structure and a certain majesty to any large garden which his appears to be and particularly in the Winter when all the deciduous tree have shed their leaves.
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John,
Your Eucryphia 'Rostrevor' is looking fabulous. While I have a plant, about 10 years old, it is a dumpy-shaped object and has only flowered very shyly over the years. E. x Nymansay performs much better for me. Two pink-flowered cultivars and a variegated cultivar both performed poorly this season.
Re conifers - they really are disgusting yokes, an affront to the environment, an irritant to the retina but have to be included in the garden if one wishes to remain married. I like the garden to reflect the seasons and the plants to change with them. Of course, I am teasing to an extent but I really don't like them very much at all. I like box hedge and yew(though it doesn't like our wet ground and struggles) and like an Irish yew which grows here. It has the manners to clothes its limbs generously and keep its shape well.
Re Albizia: I think you have done well to have it in flower. Mary and I visited Mount Congreve earlier in the month and there was a specimen in flower in the walled garden. Here it was planted in the shelter of a high wall, I would think about 6 metres high, was facing southwards and also had the shelter of neighbouring large trees and shrubs, so had the benefit of excellent protection and best aspect yet it produced rather insipid and small-sized flowers not at all as sumptuous as those I photographed in Italy earlier in the summer. A photograph from Mount Congreve is below with the photograph from Italy for contrast.
Paddy
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John,
Re conifers - they really are disgusting yokes, an affront to the environment, an irritant to the retina but have to be included in the garden if one wishes to remain married.
Paddy
Don't be shy Paddy, tell us what you really think about conifers ;D ;D ;D
Regarding Albizia juribrissin, this lovely tree is one that has become a roadside escape in the mid-altantic USA States (New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Washington DC, etc), and whenever I make the 9 hour drive down to my inlaws in Maryland, I like to study the variability in flower color; among the average bright pink forms, there are some outstanding hot pink and near red ones, not sure anyone is selecting out these superior colors. Flower size and floriferousness is equally as variable, with some outstanding forms seen. You're correct, some forms are quite insipid, others are outstanding. The "hardy form" that was introduced in New England from Arnold Arboretum outside of Boston Massachusetts, is a good showy pink, but not as eye-catching as some of those seen along the New Jersey Turnpike.
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Mark - I have the hardy form of Albizzia julibrisson here, the one named 'Ernest Wilson'. I tried growing seeds of it long ago and recall putting the seeds in acid first. None were hardy. Wayne Mezitt of Weston Nurseries told me I had to get one from root cuttings as seedlings of it were not hardy. He gave me a root-propagated one but I haven't planted it yet. He has a big plant of it near his house and it has seen some cold winters. There's a good chance we don't have enough heat to ripen Ernest properly.
We saw a smashing red-flowered one in Portland, Oregon, on the street where Sean of Cistus Nursery lives. I think he's propagated it and possibly named it by now.
Desparately dry here. Colchicum 'Antares' just in flower here, seems early.
johnw
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Paddy,your two pictures together sum up the vast difference between the clones.Unfortuneately one cannot choose them in flower.Mine incidentally grows in a completely open position with no protection whatsoever.
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In flower for the last 2 weeks, and still in fragrant bloom, is Heptacodium miconioides... an easy hardy tree here yet seldom seen. The tree shown is about 4 years old from a cutting (cuttings root easily), surviving in a hot, sunny spot and not watered once during our current drought season. It is now starting to develop the characteristic peeling/flaking bark. The small flowers are richly scented and it has the bumbles enthused.
Today I noticed that the showy bracts are just starting to develop, a bright pink-red color on my tree, not as showy as some I've seen where the bracts are blood red, but I welcome any tree that flowers this late, followed by bracts showier than the flowers.
Up close, the bilateral flowers remind me of Erinus :D
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This acacia came up in the Rock garden and I didn't have the heart to remove it - now it is a feature each spring. It's endemic to the area but I'm not sure of a species name.
cheers
fermi
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Fantastic Acacia Fermi, if only they were hardy here :'( Is the shrub sweetly scented? It is of similar look and "essence" to our ubiquitous Forsythia bushes each spring, only the Acacia is way nicer! The grass is always greener on....
One in bloom for the last couple weeks making quite a spectacle of itself is Lespedeza thunbergii 'Gibraltar', smothered in red-violet pea flowers. A friend gave it to me, so I gave it about 8' x 8' of room, but it has grown to about 10' across in both directions, and 6' tall, although it weeps to looks a bit lower. I like it so much, I have been tolerating it's overly large size.
1. Budded up in early September, it has a fine textured appearance.
2-3 The ends of some branches will fasciate, looking like striated ribbons up to 3 cm wide, sprouting an extra abundance of buds.
Not sure how normal this is. Often the fasciated stems coil at the end.
4 In full flower :o
5-6 close-up of flowers
I'm pleased, oh so pleased, to announce that this shrub is now drooping and beaten down by two days of non-stop rain... at long last our near 4 month drought is over.
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Wonderful display, Mark.
Paddy
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Thanks Paddy,
Keeping with a purple theme, for nearly a month I've been enjoying the berries on Callicarpa dichotoma 'Issai', but now it's at that stage where leaves start turning yellow, adding some drama. With our drought in August, looking at this shrub you would've written it off as a "goner" for this year; completely wilted, but I started watering it with a watering can and lo and behold, it resurrected itself and looks fine. Lots of seedling plants around the parent are getting sizable, must move some around. This is the only Callicarpa I grow, but would like to get some other ones with white and pink fruits. Searching the web, there are some outstanding species and cultivars :o
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Mark,
The colour hasn't reached the same intensity on my shrub of Callicarpa here as it is on yours. Also, the leaves of mine are all splattered white as I have a bird feeder hanging directly above it. Purple berries with white-splashed leave, now that's an odd combination.
Paddy
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Mark,
The colour hasn't reached the same intensity on my shrub of Callicarpa here as it is on yours. Also, the leaves of mine are all splattered white as I have a bird feeder hanging directly above it. Purple berries with white-splashed leave, now that's an odd combination.
Paddy
Paddy, do you think you're uniquely variegated Callicarpa will come true from seed? ;D
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Now, that would be an interesting development. I could patent the plant and sell it with birds included. A novel approach to garden planting for wildlife.
Paddy
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Now, that would be an interesting development. I could patent the plant and sell it with birds included. A novel approach to garden planting for wildlife.
Paddy
Though it wouldn't be cheep Paddy! :D
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Oooooooooooooooooh Cliff!
Paddy
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Mark,
nice to see the berries of Callicarpa dichotoma 'Issai'. In my area we only see the flowers. No berries. When the foliage turn yellow Callicarpa dichotoma 'Issai' is in full flower.
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Mark,
nice to see the berries of Callicarpa dichotoma 'Issai'. In my area we only see the flowers. No berries. When the foliage turn yellow Callicarpa dichotoma 'Issai' is in full flower.
Uli, I wonder why the berries don't appear in your area, not the right pollinators around, or what could it be?
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Mark,
pollinators we have, because the Callicarpa japonica and Callicarpa 'Profusion' have the berries.
We think it is the cold, wet wheather we have in autumn.
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This year some of the purple berries on Callicarpa dichotoma 'Issai' are turning from blue-purple to rose-purple, still putting on a good show, but with a color twist.
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Heptacodium miconioides is done flowering, but now begins the real show with flower-like sepals that change from green to hot pink or red, and expand in size to be much larger than the small white flowers. Shown are a few photos of the calyx display in the early stages, it gets better and more showy at full expression.
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Mark,
my Heptacodium is now in full bloom with the white flowers. Hope to see the pink sepals in two weeks.
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Mark,
my Heptacodium is now in full bloom with the white flowers. Hope to see the pink sepals in two weeks.
Uli, let's hope you season lasts well into the autumn to see those colorful sepals. How old is your tree, and how large? Do you get a good show with the sepals most years?
I'm surprised this tree isn't being heralded by the nursery trade; it's quick growing, indifferent to poor soils, drought resistant, very easy to strike from cuttings, no bugs seem to bother the foliage, pretty flowers with fragrance that appear very late when few other trees are booming, peeling bark, bone hardy, and the bonus display of enlarged colorful calyxes in autumn. How common is this tree in the UK and in Europe in general?
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The SRGC Arboretum sure has been quiet :P :-\
My Sourwood Tree, Oxydendrom arboreum, is swinging into some fine foliar coloring now, with the persistent spent flower structures adorning the branch tips. A view in morning light, a view in afternoon light, and a closeup. It's about a week or two away from peak color.
Earlier this summer, particularly in August, after nearly 3 months without any measurable rain, the leaves on the tree started hanging down a bit and they became inrolled... perhaps a defense mechanism against the drought. When the drought period ended late September and rain finally returned, the tree perked up and looked like nothing happened.
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I sure would like one of those, Mark!
A few berry pictures from my visit to Kew in September.
I've written about my Paper Mulberry before (http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=5561.msg163744#msg163744 (http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=5561.msg163744#msg163744)). I bought seed when I was in the South Pacific many years ago and was amazed that it survived the winter up here when I accidentally left it outside one winter. I knew it had edible fruits, but had never seen them before, although my tree did flower once. There are many small attractive elongated fruits as you can see in the pictures and very tasty too!
Too other favourites that I've not succeeded with up here are Crataegus azarolus (Azarole, from Southern Europe) and Crataegus pensylvanica both with very tasty berries...
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Stephen, cool fruit on Broussonetia payrifera, never seen anything quite like it. What do they taste like?
I've always been intrigued with Crataegus, there are so many North American species (the USDA lists over 600 names, including synonyms). Some are too thorny for my taste, but there are certainly many ornamental small tree species worth seeking out, and
C. pennsylvanica sure looks like a good one, just look at all that bright fruit. Just googled hawthorn and see that there are lots of medicinal, culinary, and ornamental uses. I wonder what a haw wine would taste like? Although I suppose one would need to be careful, "overdose [of haw poms] can cause cardiac arrhythmia and dangerously lower blood pressure".
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Mark,
my Heptacodium is now in full bloom with the white flowers. Hope to see the pink sepals in two weeks.
Uli, let's hope you season lasts well into the autumn to see those colorful sepals. How old is your tree, and how large? Do you get a good show with the sepals most years?
I'm surprised this tree isn't being heralded by the nursery trade; it's quick growing, indifferent to poor soils, drought resistant, very easy to strike from cuttings, no bugs seem to bother the foliage, pretty flowers with fragrance that appear very late when few other trees are booming, peeling bark, bone hardy, and the bonus display of enlarged colorful calyxes in autumn. How common is this tree in the UK and in Europe in general?
Not every year I get a good show with the sepals. Best colour when the autumn is "dry" and sunny. This year we have a Autumn like this. So I hope to to see the sepals this year. My "tree" is 4 Meter high and is 3 meter wide. I've got it as a payment for some nursery work eight/nine years ago. But I cut him back two time because off limit space.
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I'm surprised this tree isn't being heralded by the nursery trade; it's quick growing, indifferent to poor soils, drought resistant, very easy to strike from cuttings, no bugs seem to bother the foliage, pretty flowers with fragrance that appear very late when few other trees are booming, peeling bark, bone hardy, and the bonus display of enlarged colorful calyxes in autumn. How common is this tree in the UK and in Europe in general?
Mark not very common in the trade in Europe (Germany). A bit to large for the small gardens here. And not often seen in Arboretums and Botanical Gardens.
Ask the same question every year, you ask. Why is this tree not common in trade and garden with the late flower and the other qualities you mentioned?
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Does anyone grow a Sapium japonicum?
While Marc ask for autumn colour, this is a magnificent little tree, with a red autumn colour. The plants I know are only 50 cm high. So not very impressive.
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Stephen, cool fruit on Broussonetia payrifera, never seen anything quite like it. What do they taste like?
All I remember is that they had a pleasant sweet taste - I'd hesitate to compare with other things, should have made more notes at the time...
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Does anyone grow a Sapium japonicum?
While Marc ask for autumn colour, this is a magnificent little tree, with a red autumn colour. The plants I know are only 50 cm high. So not very impressive.
I had a Sapium sebiferum for some time (pot grown, inside in winter), but it died..... Have never come across japonicum..
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Autumn color is making a grand show here in Massachusetts, probably one week away from peak color. Of course, we actually get two fall foliage seasons, after the primary blaze of fall color, late in the season, the oaks (several species) turn to most amazing leather colors, with polished shiny leaves of every shade of near black red, deep wax red, maroon, flame red, to indescribable shades of orange and mustard. But the Sugar Maples are taking center stage at the moment, some ablaze with color, some just flushed with color that will peak in a couple days. Aside from 4 years where I lived in the Pacific Northwest 3000 miles away, I've lived my entire life here in New England, one of the best places for fall color, and even with all those years behind me, I'm continually caught off guard and stunned each year with extraordinary fall foliage visions.
1-8 Photos taken on Main Street through my town, just opposite the town library. These particular sugar maples are large and very old, and they color up with strong orange and red-orange colors. Standing under such a tree, they seem darn near fluorescent in their brightness. The things we have to put up with! :o
9-10 Views from my deck, on this moody wild day, pouring rain one minute, blustery and cold, sun shining bright and warm the next. Here in my yard, the color is still several days away from prime. The trees that constitute nearly an acre of woodland beyond the main sunny part of the yard (also about 1 acre) are old Sugar Maple, but typically mine usually turn an unremarkable yellow, sometimes a better orange-yellow as they are this year. Wish I had some of the blazing red-orange types, or some of the more red all red types.
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Spectacular display Mark ... you live in an autumnal paradise!
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Now that's what I call colour!! What a joy to see that display.
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What a treat, Mark, you lucky so and so ;D
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People who love trees might be interested in this article in The Independent on Sunday about the first curator of the National Arboretum at Westonbirt:
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/a-blaze-of-glory-the-remarkable-true-story-behind-autumnrsquos-greatest-show-of-colour-2105868.html
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Gerry,
what a great story in that article! Thanks for passing it on. Westonbirt has been on the list to visit for a while.
Jamie
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great colours mark! i knew i should have posted my fall pics immediately before the places with better colour got to that point..too late now...lol
toronto was wonderful for colour, here there is a much smaller range on full sized trees, and it is very very brief-within days of reaching peak colour, if there is any wind at all, the poplars are bare..
best colour here is on undergrowth, ribes, cornus, rosas etc..
i have several Acer rubrum , about 2 inches tall, had some nice red leaves....we'll see if they overwinter... ;D
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Great trees here. I've been away on holidays - lots of fabulous trees and must post a few photographs when I recover.
Just to mention: While away a copy of Hugh Johnson's "Trees" arrived in the post. I have only had a flick through it but it looks wonderful.
Paddy
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It has just struck me as an afterthought that it is here on this thread that I would get an identification for a tree which has puzzled me all day long. I have been looking at various websites in an effort to identify it but have failed so far.
The photograph was taken last week in Madeira in Quinta Magnolia (rubbish garden!) and I didn't see this tree growing anywhere else on the island. The flower cluster hangs down on a tendril about a metre or so in length as does the extraordinary fruit. The fruit itself is about 30cm long.
Any suggestions on a name? This isn't a puzzle, by the way, as I haven't a notion of the name of the tree, just hoping one of you might have come across it previously.
Paddy
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Sausage tree (Kigelia africana)? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kigelia
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That's the one, Calvin. I've looked at a few other sites, Kew Gardens site is interesting, and it seems to be a very interesting tree. The Kew site mentions that the "sausages" can weigh up to 12 kilos. I also came on advise that one should not park one's car underneath - a sensible precaution.
Many thanks, Paddy. I must try you with another!
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OK Calvin, Here's another one which puzzled me. I think I have come across this tree before, in La Mortella on the island of Ischia in Italy, but don't believe I managed to identify it then. It wasn't in flower when I saw it in Italy and it was the peculiar bark which caught my eye. The bark has quite large thorns/spikes all over it and would certainly be a challenge to climb. I came across the tree in several places in Madeira but none was as large as the one I saw in La Mortella so the tree shown in the photo' here is not a mature specimen.
Paddy
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Looks like a Chorisia (silk floss tree) Paddy, we admired them in Egypt but I think they are native to South America.
http://www.montosogardens.com/chorisia_speciosa.htm
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Paddy, it is Ceiba speciosa (syn. Chorisia speciosa) from South America. Impressive trees, often with many (and large) thorns at the trunk - more often planted is the pink flowering C.speciosa - rarer the yellow C. insignis.
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This is a great response! Many thanks, indeed to both Gail and Hans for such speedy replies and identification. It is a beautiful tree, fabulous flowers and interesting spikes. I wonder what is the reason for the spikes. Could it have been an evolutionary development to protect the tree from grazing?
Hans, I believe I may have seen C. insignis also but am not sure. I'll have to check back over my photographs.
Many thank, Paddy
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Paddy, it is Ceiba speciosa (syn. Chorisia speciosa) from South America. Impressive trees, often with many (and large) thorns at the trunk - more often planted is the pink flowering C.speciosa - rarer the yellow C. insignis.
Wow, those aren't merely spines, but look more like rhinoceros tusks!
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That's the one, Calvin. I've looked at a few other sites, Kew Gardens site is interesting, and it seems to be a very interesting tree. The Kew site mentions that the "sausages" can weigh up to 12 kilos. I also came on advise that one should not park one's car underneath - a sensible precaution.
A stand for too long under one!
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So, one of these trees is dangerous to stand under and the other is certainly not suitable for leaning against. Quite a pair!
Re the Chorisia: where does the "Silk Floss Tree" name come from, does anyone know?
Paddy
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Since I didn't know the tree at all I went searching thorugh the books when y it was identified, Paddy.... found out that the Silk floss part refers to the fluffy cottony substance which is found inside the seed pods.... used, it seems as a kapok substitute....... :)
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the ceibas are popular with collectors of 'fat plants' and xerophytic trees, i have friends growing them as pot plants, and in the ground where its warm enough!
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Here is a photograph of a spectacular Liriodendron tulipifera growing at Quinta Palheiro (sometimes known as the "Blandy Gardens") in Madeira. I have adjusted the balance between light and shade in the shot so that you will be able to pick out Mary who is standing under the tree to give you a sense of scale so that you can get an idea of just how huge this tree was. It was difficult to get a shot of it and I had to walk around for a while to get a view where I was back far enough to get the entire tree in shot and yet not have another tree in the way. I'm afraid I can only imagine the magnificence of this tree in flower. It must be an astonishing beauty.
Paddy
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You know the phrase, "if it were a dog, it would have bitten me on the nose". Well, this tree was a case in point. We were walking about and Mary asked if I could smell mothballs. These are probably no longer available but readers of my age will certainly remember them being used in wardrobes to ward off moths and the distinctive smell of camphor they exuded.
Although we could get the smell, we couldn't spy it source. Eventually we came on this camphor tree, an enormous specimen, and the smell on the crushed young leaves was so beautifully refreshing. The smell was in the air as much as 100 metres from the tree and seemed to give the air in the garden a lovely freshness. It was an enormous tree and in perfect health, a wonderful specimen. Great to see such great trees.
Paddy
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I'm enjoying these trees and that giant Tulip tree is the biggest I've seen.
What a cracker..... I could barely spot Mary under there!
Talk about hiding your light...... ;)
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A little colour. This was a brugmansia of great size and fabulous flowers. Paddy
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I'm enjoying these trees and that giant Tulip tree is the biggest I've seen.
What a cracker..... I could barely spot Mary under there!
Talk about hiding your light...... ;)
It was one of those situations where it was impossible to show the size of the tree in a photograph. It needed something/someone to give it scale and Mary was on hand - there are some advantages to marriage.
The trees were amazing, fabulous growth and great bulk. Imagine tree ferns growing to ten metres.
Paddy
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Fascinating to see these huge trees in Quinta Palheiro, Paddy. I visited there once about 17years ago in February so the deciduous trees and shrubs were bare. I have scanned a print of tree bark which I found very interesting. I hope someone can recognise it.
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Cool bark, all squiggly, but I have no idea what it is.
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More autumn foliage is peaking in the area now.
1 Street view in Groton, Massachusetts USA (inc 1650), with Red Maples and Sugar Maples in bright red and orange shades.
2-5 Same town center, in most years this particular old Sugar Maple turns an amazing fluorescent red. It looked orange a week ago, but now the outer canopy is turning red, notice in the close-up photos that the leaves start taking on a black red color, glowing with a golden yellow center to the tree.
6-7 I know, I keep showing my Sourwood Tree, Oxydendrum arboreum, but the color is just so good, and with the persistent white flower pedicels, I get a strong impression of Christmas whenever I look at this superb tree. On the "side view" photo, notice that the tree colors on the right side (south-facing side) first, still with some green leaves on the left side (north-facing side). It's been colorful for nearly 2 months.
8 A view looking beyond the Sourwood Tree to other trees not yet colored up, but in the center is Chionanthus virginicus of Fringe Tree, taking on chartreuse color; it will turn a fairly good yellow. I'm pleased with this tree, as I have trained as a single trunk (often Fringe trees are ungainly multi-stemmed affairs) as experimented with pruning between the long bud internodes to see if the lanky branches could be stimulated into better branches, the answer is yes.
9 Euonymus sachalinensis, after a fantastic display of red and orange capsules and seeds, this species has a nice flush of opeachy orange color.
10 Syringa meyeri 'Palibin' - such a great small shrub, I plant them strategically placed such as near my front door, to enjoy the intense perfume in late spring, but the pink-to-reddish-pink fall foliage is interesting too.
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Roma,
Great bark on that tree. No idea what it is. Do tell us more.
Quinta Palheiro has two outstanding specimens of aurucaria. Amazing size.
Mark,
Great colour and you cannot repeat your Oxydendron too often. It is an excellent plant. I notice you have it densely underplanted - I notice the labels.
Paddy
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Mark,
Great colour and you cannot repeat your Oxydendron too often. It is an excellent plant. I notice you have it densely underplanted - I notice the labels.
Paddy
Oxydendron is tap or deep rooted, thus little competition for underplanting with bulb rarities, species crocus, frits, tulipa, etc. It is also so late to leaf out in spring that bulbs get all the full sun they need to flower well in spring. Later in summer, the foliage canopy sheds water and the actively growing tree roots suck up soil moisture, so the bulbs get a good dry rest in this situation. Supposed to have a hard frost tomorrow night, it'll crisp the sourwood foliage and the foliage will drop almost immediately, so I'll try to gander at it often today and tomorrow ;D
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Mark, a good use of the space under the tree and it must be beautiful in spring.
Here is a tree photographed in Madeira last week. It is used as street planting here and was looking beautiful when we visited. In the centre of Funchal Jacaranda is the commonly planted street tree. At this time of year there was just a sprinkle of the beautiful blue flowers and I imagine it must be fabulous when in season.
Here is Spathulea campanulata Spathodea campanulata , The African Tulip Tree.
Paddy
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Mark, a good use of the space under the tree and it must be beautiful in spring.
Here is a tree photographed in Madeira last week. It is used as street planting here and was looking beautiful when we visited. In the centre of Funchal Jacaranda is the commonly planted street tree. At this time of year there was just a sprinkle of the beautiful blue flowers and I imagine it must be fabulous when in season.
Here is Spathodea campanulata, The African Tulip Tree.
Paddy
Beautiful bright tree, and a late bloomer too! Flowers seem reminiscent to Alstroemeria to me, but one can see the tulip shape as well. Amazing the trees that can be grown if the zone could be moved towards the milder end of the scale :)
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Paddy, that should read Spathodea campanulata ;)
Many thanks, Maggi. A slip up on my part. I've corrected the captions on the photographs.
Mark, of course there were many, many fabulous plants in Madeira and there was always the tinge of wishful thinking but then I saw that the gardeners in Madeira had all planted hydrangeas and these were miserable, none reaching more than 40cm and none with the lushness of foliage we have here. So, it is good to be happy with what we have and to enjoy the exotics when we go on holidays or visit the SRGC site.
By the way, the plant which elicited most desire and jealousy was Amaryllis belladonna which grew in profusion in the wild and in gardens, a beautiful sight.
Paddy
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Those maple colors are fantastic!
When visiting Dawyck Gardens just before we came to the discussion weekend I made some pictures
of some interesting shrubs and trees:
Sorbus pseudovilmorinii
Cotoneaster moupinensis 1 Never saw a Cotoneaster with black berries before.
Cotoneaster moupinensis 2
Sorbus harrowiana cl
Sorbus sargentiana 1
Sorbus sargentiana cl.
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Luit,
Great shots, lovely selection of sorbus and fabulous berries but aren't the black berries on the cotoneaster so unusual?
Paddy
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Maybe not unusual Paddy, but I have never seen them before. Well my knowledge of shrubs is minimal. Just know what is nice and which I want to plant in my garden :D
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I think the black berried cotoneaster must be quite unusual..... there is only ony 'stockist' listed in the RHS plantgfinder... and that turns out to be a person with a National Collection... and the collection is "not fully listed" and there is no such plant on the nursery list. :P
I'd love to know where to get one.... or seed.
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Luit,
Great shots, lovely selection of sorbus and fabulous berries but aren't the black berries on the cotoneaster so unusual?
Paddy
Agree about the shots and that black-berried Cotoneaster aren't uncommon. The most common species here is Cotoneaster lucidus, often planted as hedges, and it is black berried. This species has also gone wild quite commonly. I inherited a hedge of this species which I removed, but there are a number of wildlings elsewhere in the garden. This is the last fruit birds take, only if starving.
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I think the black berried cotoneaster must be quite unusual..... there is only ony 'stockist' listed in the RHS plantgfinder... and that turns out to be a person with a National Collection... and the collection is "not fully listed" and there is no such plant on the nursery list. :P
I'd love to know where to get one.... or seed.
Cannot find a supplier in Holland either. For me it looked special in the way how the berries are carried on the branches.
In my Happy Traveller thread I will show some more gardens and will show the trees/shrubs on these pages as soon as we will arrive there.
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Luit, love those Sorbus species!
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This morning it was mild and misty, making for some seductively moody views of the garden dressed in fall color. Here's a miscellany of images:
1-2 View from my roof, looking down at Oxydendrum arboreum at peak color in the foreground, Chionanthus virginicus (fringe tree) starting to turning yellow in the center, and Stewartia pseudocamellia in the background turning a darker shade of red this year.
3 Ground level view, with Spiraea japonica 'Gold Mound' turning deep red on the right, Magnolia salicifolia (Japanese Willow-Leaf Magnolia) behind it with yellow foliage.
4 Acer pseudosieboldianum with beautiful fall color.
5 Stewartia pseudocamellia (red) and behind it, Halesia monticola in yellow.
6 Stewartia pseudocamellia, coloring late this year, and instead of the fiery rose-orange color, it
is mostly red with highlights or orange and yellow.
7 Oxydendrum arboreum (again ::)) - we were supposed to have a hard frost a couple nights ago, but it just barely reached the freezing point, enough to stimulate added brilliance to fall foliage, never have I seen my Sourwood Tree color as brilliantly as this year. This photo was taken in afternoon light yesterday.
8-9 Views from my roof looking down at my deck, the brilliant flame color shrub under the deck is Spiraea japonica 'Candlelight', a truly colorful cultivar that is brilliant gold in spring, glowing chartreuse all summer, and red-orange-pink in autumn. The white mound next to it is Aster pilosus (Symphyotrichum pilosum, Frost Aster or as I call it the Vanilla Cookie Aster) To the lower right is Rhododendron 'PJM', a cultivar required in every yard in New England( ;D) which shows surprisingly good fall color.
10 A late afternoon view from my living room, yellow-orange glow of fall color.
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Oh, that last photograph is fabulous. Great colour. The individual trees previous to this are all great and the overall effect is outstanding.
Paddy
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Oh, Oxydendron arboreum ... absolutely stunning ... many thanks for posting these beautiful images Mark.
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great colours mark!
here is a rather different colour--white! not our first snow this year, but a bit heavier (5-6cm at least) and it will last at least a few days, probably much longer in shady places..)
pics 1,2 Malus two of the apples/crabs i hacked back in spring, since they were planted (not by me) right between the two houses, and the last thing i need is more shade! i intend to keep them low enough to prune without a ladder...
pic 3 Philadelphus these are totally covered in white in summer, though this year's display was cut a bit short by hail; even better, so dense there are almost no weeds or grass underneath..
pic 4 another i hacked, a Salix, grown by my mother from florist's pussywillows; some exotic willows, much larger than the natives, which are all clumping small trunked species, keep their leaves long past all the natives and most other exotics
pic 5 a native self-sown Salix -foreground
pic 6 my favourite exotic tree (on our property) Tilia cordata marginally to not hardy in provincial trials, depending on location, its been doing very nicely here, sheltered by large spruce etc
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Cohan your snow trees are wonderful but such a shock after Mark's brilliant foliage colours :o
Did you have Autumn colours? Here it seems The reds and yellows are few and far between and leaves went from green to brown with spells of dry and then summer like warmth the real chill is only just arriving with three days of frost. Altogether rather disappointing his season so it is great to see your Autumn furnace Mark and I love Your Acer pseudosieboldianum :)
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Cohan your snow trees are wonderful but such a shock after Mark's brilliant foliage colours :o
Did you have Autumn colours? Here it seems The reds and yellows are few and far between and leaves went from green to brown with spells of dry and then summer like warmth the real chill is only just arriving with three days of frost. Altogether rather disappointing his season so it is great to see your Autumn furnace Mark and I love Your Acer pseudosieboldianum :)
thanks robin--are you back in switzerland?
we actually had excellent colour on poplars this year, though they are only yellows (some hints of orange), the reds and oranges are either on exotic trees (mostly not in the countryside) or on understory native shrubs..i do have pics to post at some point, i got sidetracked with the mountain trip ;D we don't get the deep colours found in the east, as in mark's pics but our golds were glorious this year..
oddly the tamaracks (larix) this year had dull colours, unlike the poplars
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If going from fall colour to snow is a shock, how about back to spring colour? ;D
Cercis siliquastrum
[attachthumb=1]
cheers
fermi
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If going from fall colour to snow is a shock, how about back to spring colour? ;D
Cercis siliquastrum
(Attachment Link)
cheers
fermi
thats no shock, its a treat!
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OK, Fermi. Where do you have THAT one hidden at your place? Is that along past your front door?
I took a bunch of pics in a local "park" recently, including Rhododendrons, Azaleas, Dogwoods, Maples etc.... not sure whether this topic is just for northern hemisphere or not? The place is called "The English Garden", so maybe that might make it more suitable for here?
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I took a bunch of pics in a local "park" recently, including Rhododendrons, Azaleas, Dogwoods, Maples etc.... not sure whether this topic is just for northern hemisphere or not? The place is called "The English Garden", so maybe that might make it more suitable for here?
Paul, that sounds to me like a new thread called "An English Garden", in Australia :)
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Nice Cercis Fermi, I do like redbuds very much, but don't have any in the garden :'(
A tree that I planted about 10-12 years ago, I bought as an end-of-season bargain closeout, it is Betula pendula 'Black Prince'. Maybe with maturity it matures into a wider crown, but as a young tree it is fastigiate in growth, now about 18' (6 m) tall, which suits me just fine, as it does not take up lots of room. The leaves are a dark red-purple (almost black) color all season long, small in size and airy, and then within a span of a couple days the foliage turns coppery orange in autumn.
1. Whole tree view. Young bark is dark reddish ciolor, only taking on silvery white when mature.
2. Foliage closeup when just changing over from dark blackish purple to orange.
3. Whole tree view a few days later (now) where most leaves have turned coppery orange. Note the bend or crook in the trunk,
thank goodness birches are flexible, the tree always recovering from ice storm, although with bendy side-effects (also see last photo).
4-5. Closeups of the foliage with fall color.
6. Ice storm of December 2008 where there was incredible tree damage, the birch bent right over to the ground, it recovered without damage.
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Just catching up on this thread...
Beautiful (and edible) fruits are, of course, a particular highlight of woody species.
A plant that I am always surprised NOT to see everywhere is the absolutely gorgeous
Sambucus caerulea, from western North America.
These pictures are from earlier this season.
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some more blues on North Americans..
Nyssa-sylvatica
Chionanthus_virginicus.
Forestiera_neomexicana : the Desert Olive, Forestiera neomexicana, native to the southern USA, ranging into Colorado is perhaps the most surprising for hardiness in the North. it has striking white bark.
Myrica_pennsylvanica
Viburnum_recognitum
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and for sheer brilliance in autumn, i have yet to meet many plants that can compare with my favorite Sumac, Rhus copallina (Shining Sumac), with its glossy deep green summer foliage.
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Mark,
I am amazed at both the damage and the recovery on your birch. It really is amazing. We don't get ice storms here, thank goodness.
Kristl,
A beautiful berry. I have never seen it here. Must seek it out. Paddy
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and for sheer variety in leaf coloration, the native Viburnum alnifolium, photographed in the wild, when i was still in Ontario, must take the prize....(although Sassafras albidum does some amazing things too)....
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and Paddy, these two are for you....
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the last blooming woody species of the season in this garden is not a native North American, but the Asian sub-shrub, Elsholtzia stauntonii, which flowers reliably each year, indeterred by frost, and was perfectly hardy even in much colder Ontario.
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and Paddy, these two are for you....
Kristl,
I enjoyed them all, berries and foliage. The viburnums are spectacular, great foliage and the blue Viburnum berries are fabulous. Presently, the berries on V. setigerum are best here in the garden, a very striking red.
Paddy
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The color continues, and it has been terrific this year.
1-2 Acer japonicum dissectum 'Viridis', the name under which I bought this Japanese Maple many years ago. It has finely dissected leaves that are a verdant green season long, but in October turn a deep marron red, then turn an impossibly vibrant fluorescent blazing red, much brighter color than is typical for 'Viridis', so maybe I have a hybrid.
3-5 Acer japonicum dissectum 'Viridis', just 6 days later, the color is intense red.
6-7 View of trees and shrubs with fall color.
8 View with Chionanthus virginicus (right), Magnolia stellata (center) & Oxydebdron arboreum (left).
9 The last fling on Oxydendron arboreum, incredibly bright red-orange color this year.
10 A view towards my deck, with deck stairs flanked with Acer griseum and Euonymus alatus.
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A plant that I am always surprised NOT to see everywhere is the absolutely gorgeous
Sambucus caerulea, from western North America.
These pictures are from earlier this season.
I agree Kristl, absolutely gorgeous. Nice series on other blue-berried plants.
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A plant that I am always surprised NOT to see everywhere is the absolutely gorgeous
Sambucus caerulea, from western North America.
These pictures are from earlier this season.
I agree Kristl, absolutely gorgeous. Nice series on other blue-berried plants.
me three! one for the list (actually, several) no blue berries native here, (except some actual 'blueberries'! but too small to see easily)
lots of great colours mark! are you finally catching up on precip?
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Cohan,
I'll soon be listing some wild collected seed of the Sambucus caerulea...if you want to give it a try. I had no problems with it in Ontario (during -35/40 snowless winters).
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Just to show that Mark's Oxydendron is not unusual in good colour---even my small 4 foot high clone (planted this summer) is blazing next to my house.
I have been driving myself crazy to find my pictures of my favorite "Japanese Maple"---Acer japonicum aconitifolium-- the deeply incised foliage turns a spectacular range of colour in the autumn, yellow, orange, reds, pinks and purples-- often on the same leaf.
It is truly a magnificent plant.
Found a picture of the Acer foliage in my files, but don't know if this is my own picture...
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Cohan,
I'll soon be listing some wild collected seed of the Sambucus caerulea...if you want to give it a try. I had no problems with it in Ontario (during -35/40 snowless winters).
thanks kristl, i was going to check your catalogue for it..
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Just to show that Mark's Oxydendron is not unusual in good colour---even my small 4 foot high clone (planted this summer) is blazing next to my house.
I have been driving myself crazy to find my pictures of my favorite "Japanese Maple"---Acer japonicum aconitifolium-- the deeply incised foliage turns a spectacular range of colour in the autumn, yellow, orange, reds, pinks and purples-- often on the same leaf.
It is truly a magnificent plant.
Found a picture of the Acer foliage in my files, but don't know if this is my own picture...
Looking around the area here in Northern Massachusetts, I know where lots of the special trees grow, after all, for 20+ years I traveled nearly 80 miles round trip daily to work, and a salvation of that commute is finding wonderful specimens of all sorts of trees along the way. Knowing that many trees are seed-grown in the nursery trade, translates into trees that are extremely variable when purchased from nurseries. The "shocker" realization came from my architectural and landscape architectural experience, when tagging trees at large-scale nurseries for some of the large construction projects I worked on, that "anything goes" in the nursery trade, and when I went to tag large caliper trees of let's say Tilia cordata 'Greenspire', the trees in the acres of tree stocks were most often seedling grown, and were wildly variable, with almost no cultivar conformity whatsoever; the seedlings were apparent hybrids with the huge-leafed T. americana that grew nearby. That's a whole other story. For my particular commercial planting, I selected and tagged trees with leaves of approximately the same size, among the huge variability ::)
At any rate, Oxydendron arboreum is a rarely planted tree here, which is a shame, as it is bone hardy and probably among the top ten slow growing ornamental trees to plant in this region (if only they realized). Not all Sourwood trees that I have seen color nearly as good as my tree. Doing some recent research, there are now a few varieties of Sourwood selected specifically for fall color. Yours looks to be a good form.
In some cases, during my commuting-botanizing, I have come to realize the particular tree I've planted is inferior. I love Katsura Trees, Cercidiphyllum japonicum, but here again it is invariably grown from seed here, and the variability is strong. My tree is early senescent, with yellowing leaves in midsummer, I've seen similar examples, whereas other Katsura trees I've seen remain deep green until fall.
By the way, your Acer japonicum aconitifolium has really interesting and pretty multicolor fall foliage, one to add to ones must-have Acer list.
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We have a wind and rainfall warning issued by Environment Canada for tonight and tomorrow, so I thought I had better spend the day outside to collect seed today that might be blown away overnight.
While out and about I also photographed another Oxydendron I had seen at the local botanic garden--also blazing this year--in fact I would say in the top 5 trees I saw in that garden for autumn colour.
Marc, have you ever tried collecting seed of this?
I assume since it is an Ericaceae, those capsules might take a long time to ripen,
and would contain tiny seed (maybe kalmia or rhododendron like?)
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While out and about I also photographed another Oxydendron I had seen at the local botanic garden--also blazing this year--in fact I would say in the top 5 trees I saw in that garden for autumn colour.
Marc, have you ever tried collecting seed of this?
I assume since it is an Ericaceae, those capsules might take a long time to ripen,
and would contain tiny seed (maybe kalmia or rhododendron like?)
I have examined the tiny hard capsules very late in the season, and have found what appears to be seed (similar as you say, to other ericaceae) but I never paid too much attention nor have I tried collecting/growing any seed. I figure if I wanted more trees that I would try cuttings first, maybe I'll experiment doing that next year. For what it is worth, I have never seen a self-sown seedling appear.
Gorgeous coloring on that specimen of Oxydendron. While my tree always colors well, I'm starting to think it is the hot dry weather that makes for the most intense fall color.
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I think it has more to do with the clone---it has been a VERY WET and miserable season here.
If you want to experiment with the seed this year, I would certainly love to get this tree into commerce ;)
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The other particularly good plants I saw in the botanic garden today were Parotia persica, a very good, clean vibrant yellow Ginko biloba and the native Itea virginica.
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I would like to show you again one of my favorite small North American native trees: Asimina triloba. First, flowering on bare branches (May 12th this year).
By June, the foliage is out---very large and long, clean, dark-green leaves, drooping on tiered branches, with a tropical effect.
Large fruits develop in summer- which were ripe and collected today (Nov 4th). Sometimes large developing fruit can actually detract from the beauty of a plant---another reason why Asimina is so great. The fruits are almost entirely hidden amidst the huge, drooping leaves--one actually has to search hard to see them during the growing season.
On this day, the foliage was still intact, some of it having taken on some golden colour, the overall ornamental effect of the specimen as a whole is still there at this time of the year.
The leaves and bark contain toxins that make them impalatable to most insects and the plant is naturally fungus resistant--- another huge horticultural plus.
And if this were not enough....on to the fruit....
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Just to give you a perspective of the size of the fruit....here it is in Alisha's (large) hand.
Cut open, an extremely neat compartment containing (too few) very large seeds for a seed collector, but a good thing from the edibility point of view.
Too bad it is apparently not very mass-marketeable because the outer shell is too thin/fragile, and vulnerable for commercial purposes.
And this is just about the most delicious fruit I have tasted in a very long time. You will read it described as a cross between bananas and pineapple---but Alisha and I both agreed that it is about as close to creamy-mango as you could come. Slightly more acidic but very sweet.
She and I will work our way through them over this week, watching first to see if they ripen any further sitting in a fruit bowl. And next to the bowl is a "seed bag" where we must deposit the same of each fruit eaten.
Seed must be kept moist packed after harvesting and requires a 90-120 day cold period to sprout. This is hypogeal and an almost 12" tap root will have emerged before top growth. Obviously a very deep pot is required for the initial phase.
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I would like to show you again one of my favorite small North American native trees: Asimina triloba. First, flowering on bare branches (May 12th this year).
By June, the foliage is out---very large and long, clean, dark-green leaves, drooping on tiered branches, with a tropical effect.
Large fruits develop in summer- which were ripe and collected today (Nov 4th). Sometimes large developing fruit can actually detract from the beauty of a plant---another reason why Asimina is so great. The fruits are almost entirely hidden amidst the huge, drooping leaves--one actually has to search hard to see them during the growing season.
On this day, the foliage was still intact, some of it having taken on some golden colour, the overall ornamental effect of the specimen as a whole is still there at this time of the year.
The leaves and bark contain toxins that make them impalatable to most insects and the plant is naturally fungus resistant--- another huge horticultural plus.
And if this were not enough....on to the fruit....
very cool! i don't suppose this is hardy enough for me, though?
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Cohan,
I was not able to overwinter any purchased stock in North Gower, but grew it several times from seed, and the seedlings *did* survive (often happens with marginal woody material---if grown from seed). But I was perhaps at that stage (of global warming) one zone warmer than you. Here of course (almost Zone 7) there is no problem.
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Nice series on this excellent tree Kristl. I have never tried the fruit, and now I'm anxious to try it some time.
The Pawpaw tree (Asimina triloba) grows up into southern Ontario, and I know of a number of gardens here in Massachusetts with good sized specimens of it, so it should be hardy at least to USDA Zone 5. Given the plants range (see link below), it could be that there are hardier forms from the northern end of its distribution compared to very southerly collections. There are two gardens north of me in New Hampshire that have largish trees of Pawpaw growing; I'm assuming they also produce fruit.
The common Pawpaw, this link has some fascinating information, including this line about the common name:
The name, also spelled paw paw, paw-paw, and papaw, probably derives from the Spanish papaya, perhaps because of the superficial similarity of their fruit. Pawpaw has numerous other common names, often very local, such as prairie banana, Indiana (Hoosier) banana, West Virginia banana, Kansas banana, Kentucky banana, Michigan banana, Missouri Banana, the poor man's banana, Ozark banana, and Banango.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asimina_triloba
Flora of North America, species description and distribution map:
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=220001231
http://www.efloras.org/object_page.aspx?object_id=5361&flora_id=1
Genus general description, 8 species in North America, the 7 species other than triloba are deep southern plants from Florida and adjacent areas.
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=102827
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thanks, kristl and mark, maybe worth a try sometime, though likely wouldn't mature enough to fruit if its marginal..
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Hi all, I went to a tea producing area about 50km from my home today. It's tea blossom season now.
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Hi all, I went to a tea producing area about 50km from my home today. It's tea blossom season now.
Tatsuo, I have never seen cultivated fields of tea; fascinating to see. For some reason, I assumed trees would be taller, but can see they are low and wide; I assume they are pruned to grow this way to maximize the amount of leafage. I'm a huge fan of tea, although drinking tea is not as popular here in the USA compared to the UK, but there's a growing tend to drink tea for beneficial health effect and enjoyment. My favorite tea recently (besides Irish & English tea blends) is Japanese Roasted (or Toasted) green tea, or Ban-Cha.
http://www.amazon.com/Choice-Organic-Ban-cha-Toasted-16-Count/dp/B000H7FZ42
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Fascinating pictures Tatsuo. Do the blossoms have a fragrance?
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Now that's something else than the Dutch bulbfields.
To be honest I had no idea that tea is planted in this way. Very interesting.
Tatsuo, I have one question seeing the many long piles in the field.
I think those near the road are for energy and/or telephone, but what function have those in the field?
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Today was the first sunny day since the floods & rain stopped ---- and after being stuck indoors for a week I was itching to get out.
The bulk of the trees have lost their foliage, either because it was the right time to do so; or due to the hurricane-strength winds that accompanied the recent heavy rains. The tough little Asimina, however, is still in leaf; and a much prettier yellow than the last time I photographed it. The Oxydendron is now defoliated, but the seed receptaces still adorn the tree, looking in effect like silvery-white flowers. Unfortunately this is a tall tree and it only flowered right at the top, so I could not even photograph the seed.
Katsura is one of the last species I collect each year; the pods lining the leafless branches were still mostly green and unopened. I am always surprised to see a stray cluster of pods even on fairly large limbs.
The majority of the decorative seed of Carpinus caroliniana had been blown away in the storm; but I managed to collect a small quantity.
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Mark, these tea trees are trimmed for fitting to picking machines. I love the hand picking first flush most 8)
Gail, yes it has faintly scent. I feel something greenish note blended with C. sasanqua scent but it’s too weak to describe them exactly :-\
Luit, these are power cable for defroster fans set up at top of poles. These fans prevent delicate (and most precious) first flushes from damages caused by late frosts.
Kristl, I like walking through on sweetly scented fallen leaves of Katsura :)
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Hi,
this is most interesting, never seen anything like this before. I have been to tea plantations on hillsides in Thailand where the tea grew on small trees and were hand picked only.
Just one small worry, it this a public road we can see in the last picture? if so, how do the manufacturers deal with the pollution residue from cars that must cling to the tea bushes next to it? are the leaves washed before they are dried?
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YT,
A set of wonderfully interesting photographs, something we can never see here in western Europe.
Many thanks, Paddy
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A set of wonderfully interesting photographs, something we can never see here in western Europe.
In fact you can find them in a Europe even further west than you, Paddy :D
http://www.flickr.com/photos/14333842@N07/2468026349 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/14333842@N07/2468026349)
Great photos, Tatsuo!
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I will have to broaden my education and travel further.
Very interesting.
Paddy
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Just one small worry, it this a public road we can see in the last picture? if so, how do the manufacturers deal with the pollution residue from cars that must cling to the tea bushes next to it? are the leaves washed before they are dried?
Maren, I don't know how organic the culture in Japan is but in most of S India it is not, you regularly see men with spraycans walking in amongst the rows. After several pickings the shrubs are pruned hard back and particularly in the period after that and before the first real picking they spray. The number of organic tea plantations is rising but roads next to plantations in Japan wouldn't be much of a problem I think. The cars are cleaner (read: newer) in Japan than the ones in third world countries where most tea comes from. But the hills covered with tea plants is still a great view, too bad it is also the most important cause of habitat loss throughout S India and Sri Lanka at higher elevations.... :(
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I will have to broaden my education and travel further.
Very interesting.
Paddy
You don't have to travel that far, Paddy, as there's a tea plantation in Cornwall: http://www.tregothnan.co.uk/tea/p_302/
Wonder if the plants were affected by last winter's cold weather.
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Here's a few pictures of Tea plants grown outside at the Eden Project in Cornwall with an information sign:
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Luit, these are power cable for defroster fans set up at top of poles. These fans prevent delicate (and most precious) first flushes from damages caused by late frosts.
Tatsuo, thanks for the information. Here in our and neighbour countries these late frosts are mostly prevented by sprinkling water.
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On your nesxt visit to Cornwall Paddy-
http://www.tregothnan.co.uk/about-tregothnan-estate-cornwall---botanic-garden-and-tea-plantation/p_182/
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David,
I've had a look through the website and it's a place which certainly seems worth a visit. Next time!
Many thanks, Paddy
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When in October at Hillier's Arboretum I saw some nice trees/shrubs.
The first picture shows a Crataegus where I did not have noticed the name and
and which probably is Crataegus arnoldiana.
If anyone means my photo's have the wrong name I would very much like to hear this?
Crataegus [arnoldiana] + fruits
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The next interesting small tree was Zanthoxylum simulans with nice red berries and
a prickly stem.
Zanthoxylum simulans
a few more later
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Luit,
see the other pictures of Hillier in the General Forum, reminds me to visit these place again. Thanks for the pictures of this wonderful place.
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The next interesting small tree was Zanthoxylum simulans with nice red berries and
a prickly stem.
Zanthoxylum simulans
a few more later
Luit, Zanthoxylum simulans looks very interesting, the trunk looks more "bumpy" than dangerously thorny, but a rather distinctive tree.
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Acer griseum continues to please me year round; I planted a tree next to my old deck about 18 years ago. I chose Acer griseum to be planted near my deck because of its very slow growth (so that it wouldn't overtake the deck), yet after some years finally provide some shade, for its fine small scale foliage in spring and summer, glorious fall color, and the beautiful peeling bark and picturesque twiggy branching in winter.
In this series of photos, all taken in November over a period of seven years, you can get a sense of its scale. In 2003, I tore down our dilapidated deck and rebuilt it.
1 The new stairs under construction coming out at a 45 degree angle, with Acer griseum tucked into that geometry (actually, the deck and stair designed "around" the tree placement).
2 A view from the deck in 2005, given a sense of scale to the tree canopy, still small but getting there and filling in after being planted 13 years prior.
3-4 Acer griseum in 2009, 17 yrs old, not needing to be pruned yet other than "limbing up" weak branches under the canopy.
5 Eye-level view from my deck of the burning fall color.
6 Close up showing small leaflets, turning color.
7 View taken recently, the deck stair flanked on the other side with Euonymus alatus in fall color. The "burning bush" was a house-warming present from friends 23 years ago... my wife likes it, so it must stay, but I cut it back 3'-4' (60-120 cm) yearly to keep this vigorous beast (the burning bush) in check.
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Acer griseum continues to please me year round; I planted a tree next to my old deck about 18 years ago. I chose Acer griseum to be planted near my deck because of its very slow growth (so that it wouldn't overtake the deck), yet after some years finally provide some shade, for its fine small scale foliage in spring and summer, glorious fall color, and the beautiful peeling bark and picturesque twiggy branching in winter.
In our area the leaves of most trees are often gone before they even start coloring :(
Luit, Zanthoxylum simulans looks very interesting, the trunk looks more "bumpy" than dangerously thorny, but a rather distinctive tree.
"bumpy" , that is the better word indeed Mark. But with my rather limited English I could not find this word ::) ;D
Here some more pics:
This Tilia we noticed because from a distance it looked like a whitish flowering tree.
There were no flowers but the leaves were almost white on one side.
Tilia tomentosa Petiolaris 1
Tilia tomentosa Petiolaris 2
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Luit,
see the other pictures of Hillier in the General Forum, reminds me to visit these place again. Thanks for the pictures of this wonderful place.
Uli if you were my guide there, I would have seen many more interesting trees than we did. It's an enormous park and we did not know where to look first, so we just had a glimp of so many trees in some hours time.
Also very exclusive looking was this Styphnolobium japonicum Pendulum.
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There were a number of interesting Berberis too. I show here two with nice berries.
As they are edible we tried them too and the red ones are much more tasty than the other colors ;D :D
Berberis glaucocarpa 1
Berberis glaucocarpa 2
Berberis georgei 1
Berberis georgei 2
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Luit,
see the other pictures of Hillier in the General Forum, reminds me to visit these place again. Thanks for the pictures of this wonderful place.
Uli if you were my guide there, I would have seen many more interesting trees than we did. It's an enormous park and we did not know where to look first, so we just had a glimp of so many trees in some hours time.
Also very exclusive looking was this Styphnolobium japonicum Pendulum.
Luit, stay in the Hillier-Arboretum for two days 8 years ago we had not enough time to see all the magnificent trees and shrubs. It is a place you need a week to see all the nice trees and shrubs.
The tree is not!! Styphnolobium japonicum Pendulum. It is Sophora japonicum Pendulum. Or the name has changed. Handicap of this cultivar is, that it doesn't flower. What a pity!
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Onion,
It would seem the name has indeed been changed from "Sophora" to "Styphnolobium". I have been reading "Trees" by Hugh Johnson this evening and he noted the change.
Paddy
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??? ???
I hate this renaming, newnaming etc. of all the old plants.
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I have been reading "Trees" by Hugh Johnson this evening ...
... which is on my Mount Toberead (or Tobebrowsed). What is your opinion of the book so far?
Chloë
(buried in a 7600-word list of hospital equipment :( )
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Hi Chloe,
I can say with absolute certainty that it is better reading than a list of hospital equipment. Actually, it is an excellent book covering a wide range of tree families, describing them well and commenting on their suitability for the garden; lots of excellent photographs. Excellent.
By the way, I have a copy of "Gardens of Madeira" (you mentioned it in a recent post) on order.
Paddy
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??? ???
I hate this renaming, newnaming etc. of all the old plants.
Uli I feel with you ::) :-X
I thought that I had seen trees with similar leaves, and while I was not so sure, I made the close-up of the leaves. Moreover I had never heard this name before (it's not in Hilliers Manual of Trees & Shrubs 1974!).
And I always make pictures of the labels after I photographed a plant or tree.
Here it is:
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I just remembered that I saw a shrub at Forde Abbey without a name as well and I think I should know what it is, but the brains .... ::) ::) ;D
I do know that it is not a Colutea, but what is it then? Maybe someone can tell me what it is ??
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I just remembered that I saw a shrub at Forde Abbey without a name as well and I think I should know what it is, but the brains .... ::) ::) ;D
I do know that it is not a Colutea, but what is it then? Maybe someone can tell me what it is ??
Luit - It looks like a Staphylea sp. to me. S. pinnata maybe.
johnw
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I agree a Staphylea. Luit, these days a reference dating back to 1974, with the speed of nomenclatural changes going on, you'd need a new reference book almost every year ;D
Regarding the Sophora... ahem, Styphnolobium, is it just the pendulous form that doesn't flower? There are large trees of this locally that always flower, but they're not the pendulous form.
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Whilst on the subject of Hilliers, here's a few I took late July this year. I visit most years as my parents live nearby. The file names identify the plants:
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A few more (the third last one was already posted later in the season by Luit :))
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Regarding the Sophora... ahem, Styphnolobium, is it just the pendulous form that doesn't flower? There are large trees of this locally that always flower, but they're not the pendulous form.
Marc,
I never see a flowering pendulous form of Styphnolobium. But a friend of mine told me that he see at France (Mediterranean area) an old tree of the pendulous form full in flower. So it is possible that there are different clones in cultivation.
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A few more (the last one was already posted later in the season by Luit :))
Stephen,
the Prunus laurocerasus cultivar I know under the name 'Camelliflora'. We have these cultivar in the nursery I work.
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Thanks John and Mark, Staphylea, the Bladder Nut. That's why I somehow knew it :)
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A few more (the last one was already posted later in the season by Luit :))
Stephen,
the Prunus laurocerasus cultivar I know under the name 'Camelliflora'. We have these cultivar in the nursery I work.
Thanks, Uli - I see now from my notes that I had put a question mark by this one - the plant label was worn out. However, googling this name it seems that Camelliifolia is correct
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A few more (the last one was already posted later in the season by Luit :))
the rubus is quite interesting!
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Living in a very windy area near the coast I don't see any leaves on shrubs and trees here.
Except for Liquidambar, which is the only small tree giving some color in the garden.
Liquidambar styraciflua Gum Ball
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seeing stephen's paulownia earlier made me remember a question i have for john weagle----
john, you apparently grew a paulownia tomentosa variety from seed that was donated to the historic garden here in annapolis royal. that has now flowered for the past two years and is a healthy specimen.
however, here is my question/quandary....it looks in all respects like a straight p. tomentosa to me, although it was *apparently* grown out as P. tomentosa 'Coreana' (hybrid name, not ssp. or variety). don't you hate this? glad the rules were changed to disallow this sort of plant naming.
OR
were your seedlings P. tomentosa (of Korea origin)????
everyone around here is confused and I would like to help get the nomenclature sorted out.
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Mr. Krüssmann wright in his book about this cultivar: 'Coreana' only a clone from Gardens in Korea. Described by Uyeki in 1925 as P. coreana. Mr. Hu, Shiu-ying classify the species back to P. tomentosa in his work A monograph of the genus Paulownia in Quart. Jour. Taiwan Museum 12, 1-54, 1959.
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thank you, Uli.
the cultivar was described as "leaves tinted yellow, wooly beneath" (which the clone here does not have).
i guessed that this plant was probably grown from seed of Korean origins--which might have made it hardier---but
it seems that even in mild Nova Scotia, this was not enough, as i was told that the tree is decades old (kept getting severly knocked back each winter). only in the past few years (global warming?) has it finally survived to reach blooming size.
i have seen it in the American south where it has become a noxious weed.
back in Ontario, i grew it in the garden as a re-sprouting stool for its tropical foliage.
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Mr. Krüssmann wright in his book about this cultivar: 'Coreana' only a clone from Gardens in Korea. Described by Uyeki in 1925 as P. coreana. Mr. Hu, Shiu-ying classify the species back to P. tomentosa in his work A monograph of the genus Paulownia in Quart. Jour. Taiwan Museum 12, 1-54, 1959.
Indeed. Paulownia tomentosa 'Coreana' would indicate a selected named clone of tomentosa and not suggest hybridity at all. P. 'Coreana' would be a different matter but then any interspecific hybrid would have probably been named with an x ______ 'Coreana'. I will have to dig through my records back to the late 80's I think, it was around the time Heptacodium became popular but had another Genus name which always escapes me.
johnw
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I will have to dig through my records back to the late 80's I think, it was around the time Heptacodium became popular but had another Genus name which always escapes me.
johnw
John, I do not know of any earlier genus name for the monotypic Heptacodium. I do know that in earlier days, this popular tree was first named Heptacodium jasminoides, then was later renamed H. miconioides.
http://arnoldia.arboretum.harvard.edu/pdf/articles/809.pdf
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I will have to dig through my records back to the late 80's I think, it was around the time Heptacodium became popular but had another Genus name which always escapes me.
johnw
John, I do not know of any earlier genus name for the monotypic Heptacodium. I do know that in earlier days, this popular tree was first named Heptacodium jasminoides, then was later renamed H. miconioides.
http://arnoldia.arboretum.harvard.edu/pdf/articles/809.pdf
Aha - So it was H. jasminoides, NO WONDER.
johnw
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The previous owner of our property planted a number of Catalpa bignonioides - 3 of which we moved successfully to where it suited us.
This one appears to be the clone with a purple cast to the young foliage and is slowly making a decent sized tree.
cheers
fermi
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Fine trees, fermi! I have always wanted Catalpa in my garden but the summers here are not warm enough. They grow in gardens in the southermost parts of Norway though.
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Here are some trees I like:
1) Mountain birch. These trees have been destroyed by the larvae of birch moth. That makes them a little trollish!
2) and 3) A tree planted in the yard is called a "tuntre" in Norwegian (litterally "yard-tree"). What's the English term for that? Here from the tiny island of Strċholmen, Southern Norway.
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Trond, given the capacity of many UK citizens to plant totally unsuitable forest trees in their gardens/yards, I suppose the most appropriate English term for such tress would be nuisance trees, because they are too big, cause damage to nearby drains and houses etc! ;D ;D ;)
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Perhaps I can add a little explanation. The tradition of tuntre is a very special one here in Norway (also elsewhere in Scandinavia?). It is a dominant tree originally planted near to the farm house and there is supposed to be a grave underneath! The grave belonged to the so-called Haugbonden who was the first farmer to clear the forest for the farm. For anyone wanting to read more, it's on p.15 of the following document (select the text and put into Google Translate might work):
http://www.umb.no/statisk/ilp/landskapsverdi.pdf (http://www.umb.no/statisk/ilp/landskapsverdi.pdf)
I particularly like the mention of the tradition of pouring beer, milk or mead on the tree's roots at Xmas for the Haugbonden - I think I'll reintroduce this tradition at Xmas (as I have a "tree hugger" visiting and have some awful homebrew..). No idea who's buried under my tuntre! However, there are scattered ancient burial mounds on the hill where I live!
Edit: On second thoughts maybe I shouldn't use that homebrew - the Haugbonden is supposed to protect the current farmer from evil...
If you planted one of these giants in a typical British garden it would certainly become a nuisance!
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Stephen, I couldn't have explained it better myself ;)
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My friend Jack who is the propagator at the Arnold Arboretum emailed me this morning and has jogged my memory. No wonder I had forgotten, I got the collected wild Paulownia seed in 1977. "The collection number is 1703-77 collected in South Korea by Steve Spongberg and Dick Weaver. Collected - Sorak-san National Park, Kangwong-do, So. Korea "along the trail from the Sorak Hotel." Jack too was puzzled by the label of P. tomentosa 'Coreana' but that's how he found it labelled originally and that name has remained with the plants at the Arnold. He says it is up to the taxonomists to straighten that one out, he saysd say P. tomentosa f. coreana or tomentosa f. koreana would make more sense.
Jack has not had die-back in his plants but nor with the straight P. tomentosa he grows. I reckon the blistering summer heat of Boston fully hardens the pithy young wood of the young Paulownias. So we can't say much about its hardiness until the Gardens at Annapolis plants a regular tomentosa and does some comparisons. The recent spate of mild winters can fool us on such matters.
Of the original collection I swear every seed sprouted and there were hundreds. I gave them all away but one. That one I stored potted in my greenhouse for the winters. One year I forgot to water it in the summer and it died of drought. That pot sat behind a large tub which got watered regularly and by luck must have ocassionally received some stray flying water. Accidentally I watered the empty pot a year later and up from the roots came a booming Paulownia which eventually went on to the Annapolis Historic Gardens sometime in the mid-90's or later. In the interim it was stored for the winter in a cold room in the basement, there too it annually lost all its new growth - it was so soft and unhardened and seemed to almost rot back. Young P.s are mostly pithy and hollow whereas mature ones are prized for their wood - curious.
A local friend came back from Varna one year - maybe 5 years ago with a peck of P. tomentosa seed. He asked me if I wanted any and I told him I didn't and anyway the Paulownia was too iffy to bother with and that he'd be better off trying seed from the Annapolis plant. Well three years later he phoned me and called me over. His Bulgarian tree was over his roof and was in flower. I don't know how it has fared since but other tomentosas I know in the upper Valley always freeze back, either partially or completely. Then they re-sprout, grow like hell to great heights with huge leaves only to repeat the same, never flowering.
So the jury is out.
BTW Same friend also returned from Bulgaria one year with 1,000 seeds of the fabled 'Siberian' palms. I had told him the story of these palms and as he worked for Air Canada he wasted no time going right to the station where the Trachycarpus grew. They survived a few years but he has remained decidedly quiet on the subject since. He's a real go-getter and I must get in touch again.
johnw
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Not far from Arnold Arboretum near Boston, Massachusetts, is historic Mount Auburn Cemetery in Watertown/Cambridge Massachusetts. established in 1831 and an outstanding arboretum in its own right. Many of the tress and shrubs planted there are sourced from Arnold Arboretum. The site is very large (175 acres) and hilly, easy to get lost inside as one meanders around the beautiful mature grounds. On one visit in May 2005 in early June 2005, I came across a huge tree showing a mist of purple in the upper canopy, to my surprise if was Paulownia tomentosa in bud, which I never imagined could be hardy in New England after seeing it grow as a roadside "weed tree" in the mid Atlantic States of USA (New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Washington DC).
http://www.mountauburn.org/national_landmark/horticulture.cfm
Given the huge size of the tree, suggesting great age, the species is undoubtedly hardy in USDA Zone 5, although possibly at its northern limit, thus not weedy from self-sown seedlings as it has become in milder climates. I took a photo of the name plate (most plantings are labeled), and in the photo you can see the smaller copper engraved tag that typically has the year of planting, although I can't make out the year. I didn't get back to take photos when in full bloom, you just get a hint of purple color showing up in these photos as the buds start to expand.
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I planted Paulownia tomentosa about 5-6 years ago (seed propagated sapling about 10 cm high) here at 64.5N in Norway. It has shown no sign of die back apart from perhaps the first year or two when I think the tips were burnt. Based on minimum temperatures, my garden is boundary zone 5/6 (minimum about -23C in those years). However, our summers are very mild and days above 20C are certainly not that common, so certainly no blistering summer heat like Boston to ripen the wood. I was surprised that it did make it as I'd been told that it would die back in my climate and shoot from the roots. Last winter was very cold here and no damge, but the current winter will be even more challenging as we had a very short summer with only a handful of days above 20C, early first frost date and coldest November - December since records began in the 1700s.
I have one picture of Paulownia tomentosa var coreana taken in the Hilliers Arboretum, England:
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I have seen a 3m tall P. tomentosa here in Haugesund and an even taller one in Skjold (Norway) some years ago but I think both are dead now. I tried from seed but all the seedlings died in the second or third year.
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A friend in Kristiansand (southern Norway) had to fell his as it had grown so well that it had become a "nuisance tree", threatening the house foundations... Maybe my seed was from a particularly hardy provenance. Is it possible to propagate Paulownia vegetatively?
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Is it possible to propagate Paulownia vegetatively?
Stephen - My guess is it roots like a weed. I know you can propagate it easily by root cuttings.
Very strange Hilliers had it labelled var coreana as they sent seed a plant or plants to the Arnold labelled Paulownia tomentosa 'Coreana' several months before this wild collection was made. Could it be they are the source of this mis-naming?
Mark - Very strange it has such problems in Zone 6 here. Could it be our late arrival of summer (many trees don't put on a significant burst of growth until mid July) or the long mild, often moist, autumns? I can only recall one tree in the upper valley not freezing back in the winter, the next year it did.
johnw
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Mark - Very strange it has such problems in Zone 6 here. Could it be our late arrival of summer (many trees don't put on a significant burst of growth until mid July) or the long mild, often moist, autumns? I can only recall one tree in the upper valley not freezing back in the winter, the next year it did.
johnw
John, you might be on to something there... the late arrival of summer and insufficient time for growth and hardening of that growth. There is a tree that is popularly planted here, the American Sycamore or Plane Tree (Platanus occidentalis), which is at its northeastern limit of distribution here in Massachusetts: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Platanus_occidentalis_map.png
I wonder why the tree is planted in our area, because it has significant problems... ever spring without fail, it has difficulty with emerging leaves, they get whacked by frost and die back, sometimes several times, and the trees look miserable and ratty for many weeks as the trees become nearly denuded while all other hardier trees are fully leafed out. Eventually the tree succeeds putting out leaves, and then in summer one can enjoy the massive trunks and limbs with striking white bark. Driving about 450-500 miles southwest to the mid-Atlantic coastal US States, like Maryland and Delaware, the "Sycamores" are spectacular, looking twice as good, much fuller in leafage and overall much healthier than in more northern locales.
Platanus occidentalis - "Sycamore", American Sycamore, American Plane, Buttonwood, Occidental Plane
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sycamore.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Konak_Kneza_Milo%C5%A1a.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sycamore_in_Warren_County,_Indiana.png
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/76/Platane%2C_Trsteno.JPG
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John,
Just to complete the circle and fill in memories....
Jamie Ellison just wrote to say:
"I believe the original tree is in Sackville or close by. I believe the gardens specimen came from a root cutting. I have three plants from root cuttings as well."
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Mark - It seems the more we discuss the matter the more confused we get. The Platanus is no problem in the southern part of NS as we are not plagued by late frosts once trees leaf out - mid May to June. The Magnolias for instance leaf out in that time frame but then in mid July when the night time temps start getting from 16-19c they suddenly but on a huge growth surge - oddly they never have a problem hardening off.
One thing I mentioned about the Paulownia is that as youngsters they are almost hollow inside. Perhaps planting a 5-10 year old might help. One thing I was warned about when trying English holly here was that if they freeze back they later send up huge sprouts from the base due to the large root system and then this can't harden off for the next winter. Another puzzle -the hardier American holly is decidedly difficult here!
johnw
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John,
Just to complete the circle and fill in memories....
Jamie Ellison just wrote to say:
"I believe the original tree is in Sackville or close by. ."
What original tree?????????????
johnw
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Is it possible to propagate Paulownia vegetatively?
Very strange Hilliers had it labelled var coreana as they sent a plant or plants to the Arnold labelled Paulownia tomentosa 'Coreana' several months before this wild collection was made. Could it be they are the source of this mis-naming?
Mark - Very strange it has such problems in Zone 6 here. Could it be our late arrival of summer (many trees don't put on a significant burst of growth until mid July) or the long mild, often moist, autumns? I can only recall one tree in the upper valley not freezing back in the winter, the next year it did.
johnw
You can search the Hilliers accessions here:
http://www3.hants.gov.uk/hilliergardens/hilliergardens-ourplants.htm
However, I see no reference to a var coreana... My picture is from July 2007.
One special feature of our climate is that we never get late frosts here, because we have little or no darkness by the time the leaves come out in May. It's much easier growing plums for that reason than Southern England..
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Stephen - Here are the accession records from the Arnold inventory here. You can see it was received as seed in April 77 and mine in October.
Paulownia tomentosa 'Coreana'
Accession number: 1703-77
Accession date: 17 Oct 1977
Received as: seed
Provenance:
Wild collected in Korea, Republic of Kangwong-do Sorak-san National Park
Locality: along the trail from the Sorak Hotel
Collector(s) and/or collection number(s): Spongberg, S. A. and Weaver, R. E. 423
Collection date: 7 Oct 1977
Source: 1977 Exp. to Korea and Japan
Living plants of this accession
Individual Plant - Location (grid or other) - Quadrant (if applicable)
B 21 SE
C 21 SE
E 21 NW
Paulownia tomentosa 'Coreana'
Accession number: 730-77
Accession date: 21 Apr 1977
Received as: seed
Provenance:
Wild collected in Korea, Republic of
Collector(s) and/or collection number(s): M. & H. 173
Collection date: 1976
Source: Hillier Nurseries, England
Living plants of this accession
Individual Plant - Location (grid or other) - Quadrant (if applicable)
D 21 NW
johnw - rain & wind, +7c
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There are two old Hilliers accessions from 1976! Unfortunately there's no more detail than this:
Paulownia tomentosa (Thunb.) Steud. Accession no: 1976.9982
Qualifier Area Area name Height DBH Date
Y BU200 Upper Brentry 200 13.7 m 41.4 cm 24 Jul 2006
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Paulownia tomentosa (Thunb.) Steud. Accession no: 1976.9988
Qualifier Area Area name Height DBH Date
S BU200 Upper Brentry 200 17.5 m 60.3 cm 19 Jun 2006
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Stephen - I have changed my previous posting to read ...Hilliers .....seed
a plant or plants
I wonder who M. & H. 173 are? Were they a Hillier's team that collected the early batch of 'Coreana' seed in Korea or private individuals? Perhaps they gave Hilliers the seed and and then it was passed along to the Arnold. I suppose Hilliers couldn't grow on every batch of seed received from others. Coincidental the Arnold was to receive such seed months apart! Or maybe it sparked the Arnold's interest and they headed off to Korea themselves.
Our coastal climate shares your lack of late Spring frosts.
johnw
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Found it! Searching the Hillier Manual of Trees and Shrubs on Google books (much quicker than searching my own copy!) I found a reference to Carl Miller and Sir Harold Hillier (himself), (M. & H. 308) , having collected seed of Corylus sieboldiana in Korea in 1976!
However, the entry under Paulownia doesn't have any mention of coreana (only P. tomentosa "Lilacina" syn P. fargesii)
However, Hillier did introduce Carpinus coreana on the same trip.
Harold Hillier relinquished his duties becoming President of Hilliers Nurseries in the mid-70s which allowed him to travel. Apart from the Far East he was also in "the Americas", so perhaps he even took the seed with him to the US, inspiring the new trip later in 1977?
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Great work Stephen. The late Carl Ferris Miller was later known as Min Pyong Gal and founded the Chollipo Arboretum. Had a bit of correspondence with him many years ago. He was a very interesting character and collected some very high quality plants. I got seed of Magnolia sieboldii he collected at high altitude one year and it is a vast improvement of the regular and quite inferior sieboldiis in the trade. One plant from the seed lot is especially good and some have suggested we should name it. We usually collect all its seed annually and send it hither & yon.
It seems Carl played a bit of a role in the Arnold Expedition as you will read in this article published in Arnoldia. You will note that they say P. koreana so I am not losing my mind as for a long time that's what I called it. Perhaps this "species" was in dispute and both expeditions used the 'Coreana ' to denote a problem. Jack may have informed me of the nomenclatural problem years ago in a letter or when he visited or I read this very article, I subscribed to Arnoldia since the early 70's.
http://arnoldia.arboretum.harvard.edu/pdf/articles/1055.pdf (http://arnoldia.arboretum.harvard.edu/pdf/articles/1055.pdf)
BTW The classic Hillier's Manual of 1973 makes no mention of P. koreana or variations of the same.
johnw
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Amazing story which is unfurling here (I love plants that tell stories...). Fascinating story of Miller too and how the arboretum was established - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Ferris_Miller !
I wonder if Roy Lancaster (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_Lancaster) has written anything about this - he's had a long collaboration with Hilliers and lives locally (incidentally near to where I also grew up!). Anyone know how to contact Roy?
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We are in contact with Roy .... I'll write to him after the seasonal chaos clears from the postal system.
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Excellent, Maggi!! Thanks!