Trees in parks and gardens 2010

[TheOnionMan]

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.

[Maggi Young]

Good thinking McMark!

[Stephenb]

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..

[TheOnionMan]

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. 

[Paddy Tobin]

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

[TheOnionMan]

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

[TheOnionMan]

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.

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

[TheOnionMan]

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.

[Paddy Tobin]

Certainly, a beautiful tree, Mark.

Paddy

[Stephenb]

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.

[Paddy Tobin]

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

[johngennard]

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.

[Stephenb]

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...

[johngennard]

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.

[Maggi Young]

How exciting, John... what a treat to have the flowers "sneak up on you" like that !