Trees in parks and gardens 2010

[TheOnionMan]

The SRGC Arboretum sure has been quiet

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.

[Stephenb]

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). 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...

[TheOnionMan]

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".

[Onion]

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.

[Onion]

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?

[Onion]

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.

[Stephenb]

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...

[Stephenb]

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..

[TheOnionMan]

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!

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.

[ranunculus]

Spectacular display Mark ... you live in an autumnal paradise!

[Maggi Young]

Now that's what I call colour!!  What a joy to see that display.

[Brian Ellis]

What a treat, Mark, you lucky so and so

[Gerry Webster]

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

[Regelian]

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

[cohan]

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...