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debm55

(36,083 posts)
Sat Sep 7, 2024, 11:39 AM Sep 7

What is your favorite tree? It can be in your yard or not. I love the Japanese Fire Trees. I have in my yard, though

I think one is dying. I also have a huge Pine tree that my son received as a tiny sapling many years ago in a Happy Meal box for Earth day. Do you have a favorite tree?

243 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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What is your favorite tree? It can be in your yard or not. I love the Japanese Fire Trees. I have in my yard, though (Original Post) debm55 Sep 7 OP
Any red maple... 3catwoman3 Sep 7 #1
Thank you 3catwoman3 They are beautiful trees. debm55 Sep 7 #3
Willow Tree... FarPoint Sep 7 #2
Thank you FarPoint I haven't seen any willow trees around here. but other places I have been, I admired their beauty. I debm55 Sep 7 #5
I am in Dayton Ohio... FarPoint Sep 7 #28
We don't have any any ponds around here. just the rivers. Bummer. I think they are beautiful. debm55 Sep 8 #82
We have willows here in NYC. They like to be near water, if possible. electric_blue68 Sep 7 #67
Thank you electric_bllue68 . That's what I thought. debm55 Sep 8 #83
Tree Rollins True Dough Sep 7 #4
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA. you are bad True Dough. debm55 Sep 7 #8
There's about 10% redeeming qualities in me True Dough Sep 7 #12
Ten Percent? ProfessorGAC Sep 7 #31
I'll look --only 10? I think you have more. debm55 Sep 8 #84
All right True Dough Sep 8 #119
I have a small collection of Japanese Maples that I love biophile Sep 7 #6
I agree with the native trees. My Japanese Fire trees look like crap starting in the fall. They are beautiful in the debm55 Sep 7 #13
Peach tree. Codifer Sep 7 #7
At one time we had peach and pear trees . I was told by my neighbor that to give fruit you had to have 2 of each. Yard debm55 Sep 7 #15
I am a peach fiend Easterncedar Sep 9 #202
The problem with Codifer Sep 9 #210
All true! Easterncedar Sep 9 #211
I can only imagine how grateful your neighbor was Easterncedar Sep 9 #212
Quercus michauxii rockbluff botanist Sep 7 #9
Thank you rockbluff botanist. It sounds wonderful. debm55 Sep 8 #87
Lindens---very popular in Colorado and when they bloom, oh, the fragrance is heavenly... hlthe2b Sep 7 #10
Also called basswood. Basswood honey is excellent. Ocelot II Sep 7 #52
Thank you Ocelot II. Yes, trees with a scent are my favorites. debm55 Sep 8 #89
I never knew a variety of honey was produced from them, but searching I see it available. I'll have to try... hlthe2b Sep 8 #101
TIlia americana. Native to my neck of the woods. Ocelot II Sep 8 #109
Thank you Hithe2b they sound wounderful, I like trees with a scent. We used to have a lilac tree loved it. debm55 Sep 8 #88
I love crape myrtle trees. arkielib Sep 7 #11
Thank you arkielib. I am so glad your sister survived.You have to careful of pines also as their roots do not grow deep debm55 Sep 8 #91
Maple trees, especially in autumn, when they display many colors... Jrose Sep 7 #14
Thank you Jrose I love the colors of the maple trees. They are beautiful. It's getting close to them changing. debm55 Sep 8 #92
Silver Birch n/t sarge43 Sep 7 #16
Thank you sarge43 beautiful tree. debm55 Sep 8 #93
Weeping Birch catbyte Sep 7 #17
We have one weeping birch in NYC's Fort Tryon Pk electric_blue68 Sep 7 #68
Oh what a beautiful tree, Thank you so much, catbyte. debm55 Sep 8 #94
Saguaro enid602 Sep 7 #18
Thank you enid602, When I visited AZ I was awestruck by them. Very beautiful. debm55 Sep 8 #95
Technically it may not be a "tree" but it is my favorite as well. The other morning when I was walking I in2herbs Sep 8 #147
Japanese Maple! AltairIV Sep 7 #19
Thank you AltairIV, It is a beautiful tree. debm55 Sep 8 #96
The Sweetgum in our front yard. HeartsCanHope Sep 7 #20
Thank you HeartsCanHope. While walking Dolly , We both have been hit on the head by them debm55 Sep 8 #97
I'm interested in purchasing an established Niagara Sep 7 #21
Thank you Niagara. I love the Magnoia trees and their smell. I don't think I have seen a Knock Out Rose Tree around here debm55 Sep 8 #98
I think that picture of the Knockout rose tree is deceptive. LeftInTX Sep 10 #216
I really think that is a picture of a camellia and not a Knockout Rose LeftInTX Sep 10 #218
black walnut surrealAmerican Sep 7 #22
that is my favorite. lapfog_1 Sep 7 #26
Love these trees. Had a bunch of them in my small ranch, and had to run off people from stealing the walnuts! SWBTATTReg Sep 7 #45
I like their looks, but they give off a substance from their roots Ocelot II Sep 7 #55
They are poisonous to horses, dogs, and cats Bayard Sep 7 #70
Agree. Thank you Bayard. debm55 Sep 8 #102
Thank you surrealAmerican. I was trying to figure out the names of the trees. We use to call them "monkey balls" when I debm55 Sep 8 #99
We always knew when folks had been hulling black walnuts from the stain on their forearms yellowdogintexas Sep 8 #123
I've been on a few wild food walks in Manhattan, and Queens... electric_blue68 Sep 9 #195
Mimosa, especially when they are blooming. Enter stage left Sep 7 #23
I was thinking of the one mimosa tree in one of my own neighborhoods... electric_blue68 Sep 7 #69
My neighbors across the street. bought the next lot. And had about ten of them. They were beautiful. When they died and debm55 Sep 8 #100
My cherry 🍒 tree. The birds 🐦 also love it. Polly Hennessey Sep 7 #24
These are nice too! Used to have before they all died out, the birds would flock all over them, eat them before I SWBTATTReg Sep 7 #46
Thank you SWBTATTReg. debm55 Sep 8 #117
I love cherries, too. Nt spooky3 Sep 7 #57
I love Japanese Cherry Trees when they first bloom in the spring Thank you, Polly Hennessey. debm55 Sep 8 #118
Thank you Polly Hennessey. debm55 Sep 8 #157
Bald cypress duncang Sep 7 #25
We have Montezuma and Bald Cypress here LeftInTX Sep 8 #80
Thank you duncang. Are they nativie to the South? debm55 Sep 8 #122
A lot of them duncang Sep 8 #166
I live in San Antonio. We're always in a drought, but I know they grow on land in parts of the south. LeftInTX Sep 10 #217
I love those, too! pandr32 Sep 12 #228
Sugar maple Sanity Claws Sep 7 #27
Thank you Sanity Claws We love driving up the mountains here in PA and looking at the trees. It's almost time. debm55 Sep 8 #125
Sango Kaku gademocrat7 Sep 7 #29
Love Japanese Maples, thank you gademocrat7 debm55 Sep 8 #124
I love.... CommonHumanity Sep 7 #30
You can love all trees but have a special tree that is a sight to behold for various reasons. debm55 Sep 8 #127
of course you can CommonHumanity Sep 24 #239
Reread my post at #127, I wasn;t defensive, Just said that you can love all trees but have a special type that you are debm55 Sep 24 #240
I really don't think God fills insulted by me liking a specific tree, animal, body of water. landforms. humans, birds, debm55 Sep 24 #243
Tree MoonlightHillFarm Sep 7 #32
Love the smell. Thank you , MoonlightHillFarm. debm55 Sep 8 #130
Evergreen Magnolia. cloudbase Sep 7 #33
Thank you cloudbase. It sounds wounderful. debm55 Sep 8 #129
Monkey Puzzle Tree surfered Sep 7 #34
I don't think I heard of them. We had Monkey Ball Trees in PA. Thank you . I will look it up debm55 Sep 8 #132
Rowan tree, for all of the mythology around it. nt Ilsa Sep 7 #35
Thank you llsa. Correct me if I am wrong, but are hemlock trees poisonous? debm55 Sep 8 #138
I think so, but I like their look. Ilsa Sep 8 #185
Poison hemlock and hemlock trees are not closely related. PufPuf23 Sep 12 #222
thank you very much, PufPuf23. Your post is very informative. debm55 Sep 12 #223
Been reading this thread for several days, cannot make up mind. PufPuf23 Sep 12 #225
Blue Spruce ProfessorGAC Sep 7 #36
Thank you ProfessorGAC . I agree on all three counts. debm55 Sep 8 #139
I have particular fondness for three different trees. Different Drummer Sep 7 #37
Thank you Different Drummer. All three are unique and beautiful. debm55 Sep 8 #141
Osmanthus fragrans (Sweet Olive) subterranean Sep 7 #38
Thank you subterranean your description sounds wonderful. debm55 Sep 8 #142
Chinese Elm. Mosby Sep 7 #39
Thank you Mosby. debm55 Sep 8 #143
Redbud if..fish..had..wings Sep 7 #40
Thank you if..fish..had..wings. I hope it takes. debm55 Sep 8 #144
Quercus alba, white oak WestMichRad Sep 7 #41
Thank you WestMichRad. Wonderful tree. When I was a teen we lived in White Oak PA named after the trees there. debm55 Sep 8 #145
The King of All Trees: The Redwood Nictuku Sep 7 #42
Thank you Nictuku. Redwood Forest sounds wonderful. Thank you for sharing. debm55 Sep 8 #146
I love all the giant old growth evergreens! pandr32 Sep 12 #229
Metasequoia (Dawn Redwood) Bob in the Land Sep 7 #43
Often referred to as a "living fossil" Zambero Sep 8 #108
Thank you, Bob in the Land. debm55 Sep 8 #149
Yellow Birch (leaves smell like spearmint). waterwatcher123 Sep 7 #44
Thank you waterwatcher123. That is interesting about the Yellow birch. I love the smell of spearment. debm55 Sep 8 #161
Yellow birch are native to the zone where we live (transition from hardwood to boreal forest). waterwatcher123 Sep 8 #187
Thank you ,waterwatcher. I have learned so much from this thread. debm55 Sep 8 #188
It was a very nice thread and chance for everyone to express a bit of appreciation for nature's splendor and diversity. waterwatcher123 Sep 9 #214
Yellow birch is a favorite of mine Easterncedar Sep 9 #208
I remember working with a plant ecologist who said some of our yellow birch trees were hundreds of years old. waterwatcher123 Sep 9 #213
Palo Rojo drmeow Sep 7 #47
Oh my that is beautiful. I have never seen anything like it. thank you drmeow. debm55 Sep 8 #162
This is the one that was in my backyard drmeow Sep 8 #174
Absolutely beautiful. Thank you, drmeow. debm55 Sep 8 #180
Crabapple because I spent so much time as a kid in my parent's crabapple applegrove Sep 7 #48
Thank you very much applegrove for sharing you memories with us. debm55 Sep 8 #160
I did too.. made jelly from the crabapples... Also nursed quite a few bee stings, as a result... hlthe2b Sep 24 #241
Canterpillars were our nemisis on that tree. Tent caterpillars. Ug! applegrove Sep 24 #242
Weeping willows make awesome hideaways Clouds Passing Sep 7 #49
Thank you Clouds Passing. that;s funny. debm55 Sep 8 #163
I have two Japanese maples in my front yard. Aristus Sep 7 #50
Thank you Aristus. They are lovely. debm55 Sep 8 #164
Catalpa. I love their orchid-like flowers in the late spring. Ocelot II Sep 7 #51
The first time I saw one, and in flowering was on a vacation in NYS... electric_blue68 Sep 7 #71
There's a big one in my front yard. Ocelot II Sep 7 #74
Oh, man - all at once! And just brown. Well, the flowers make up for it. 👍 electric_blue68 Sep 7 #75
I had one in the front yard Figarosmom Sep 8 #78
Thank you Ocelot II They are beautiful. debm55 Sep 8 #169
And vanilla-like fragrance! Easterncedar Sep 9 #209
Gingko Trees Marigold Sep 7 #53
Only the male ones. The females produce a fruit Ocelot II Sep 7 #56
Hahahahaha Marigold Sep 7 #58
Yes, actually. Ocelot II Sep 7 #60
Oh, how well (unfortunately!) I know! In my second childhood neighborhood, our park... electric_blue68 Sep 7 #73
Thank you Marigold. I remember a neighbor had a Gingko Tree in their yard. Very unique leaf shape. debm55 Sep 8 #170
An oak tree I transplanted 25 years ago. OAITW r.2.0 Sep 7 #54
Thank you OAITW r.2,0 That oak is huge. debm55 Sep 8 #168
Here's a good pic of my tree... OAITW r.2.0 Sep 12 #227
Thank you beautiful tree and setting, debm55 Sep 13 #232
Live Oak first. I'm an old southern boy. The Redwoods are amazing trees. Lochloosa Sep 7 #59
Thank you lochloosa, That is beautiful debm55 Sep 8 #172
Quaking Aspen MN2theMax Sep 7 #61
Thank you , that sounds so lovely. debm55 Sep 8 #173
Jacarandas with blue flowers Batshit_Bruin_CA Sep 7 #62
Thank you Batshit_Bruin_CA that must be like living in paradise. debm55 Sep 8 #175
Dogwoods Wicked Blue Sep 7 #63
Thank you Wicked Blue. we do have dogwoods around here. Beautiful. debm55 Sep 8 #176
Aspen madamesilverspurs Sep 7 #64
Thank you madamesilverspurs. That sounds so romantic with the leaves and their fall colors. debm55 Sep 8 #179
Eastern Redbud happybird Sep 7 #65
I agree maccafan Sep 8 #171
Thank you happybird. Your yard must be beautiful in the early spring. debm55 Sep 8 #183
Crab apple, or flowering cherry trees bc of the beautiful flowers each Spring. Otherwise, I guess... electric_blue68 Sep 7 #66
electric_blue, is there any particular reason why you believe that you Niagara Sep 12 #220
Traveling itself is not really a problem. I don't have extra much money at all... electric_blue68 Sep 12 #221
I understand financial difficulties. This year has been financially difficult for me... Niagara Sep 13 #231
Aspen and Blue Spruce (and they look great planted close together) Bayard Sep 7 #72
Thank you Bayard. Your yard sounds beautiful. debm55 Sep 8 #159
Lots of pretty flowering threes Figarosmom Sep 7 #76
Thank you Figarosmom. I agree with both. debm55 Sep 8 #181
Sequoia sempervirons WheelWalker Sep 7 #77
Love the sequoia. Thank you WheelWalker. debm55 Sep 8 #121
Weeping cedar samplegirl Sep 8 #79
Thank you samplegirl , I love them so special and beautiful debm55 Sep 8 #120
There was an almost virgin patch of woods within walking distance when I was young doc03 Sep 8 #81
There is a protected area of never-forested white and red pines Ocelot II Sep 8 #90
Thank you Ocelot II beautiful tree. debm55 Sep 12 #224
Thank you very much, for sharing those memories with us. debm55 Sep 8 #116
Plumeria in any color parkia00 Sep 8 #85
Thank you parkia00. it sounds beautiful. debm55 Sep 8 #106
Maples 🍁 Rebl2 Sep 8 #86
Thank you RebI2. Love them in the fall. debm55 Sep 8 #103
My family tree. OLDMDDEM Sep 8 #104
HAHAHAHA, Is that a real tree or are you pulling our legs????? debm55 Sep 8 #110
Just my family. No real tree. OLDMDDEM Sep 8 #111
Coast Redwood Zambero Sep 8 #105
Thank you Zambero , I always wanted to see one. debm55 Sep 8 #115
You're welcome! Zambero Sep 8 #150
Thank you.for the information. debm55 Sep 8 #152
My Moringa in the front. Arne Sep 8 #107
Thank you Arne. debm55 Sep 8 #114
Happy Trees underpants Sep 8 #112
HAHAHAHAHHAHAH. I got my kid to eat broccoli by telling him they were tiny trees. debm55 Sep 8 #113
Aspen CanonRay Sep 8 #126
CanonRay, thank you very much. They are beautiful trees. debm55 Sep 8 #156
giant sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum) Stargleamer Sep 8 #128
One of the few national parks I haven't been to that I always wished I had. Thank you Stargleamer. debm55 Sep 8 #134
I googled Japanese fire tree & they are gorgeous!! CrispyQ Sep 8 #131
thank you CrispyQ. I took my class to the Conservatory in Pittsburgh. They had a Japanesse Section with all these debm55 Sep 8 #133
Joshua sakabatou Sep 8 #135
Thank you sakabatou. I love seeing pictures of this tree. Lovely. debm55 Sep 8 #136
I have sa soft spot for the live oaks of the Crescent City TexLaProgressive Sep 8 #137
Thank you TexLaProgressive. They are beautiful, just beautiful. debm55 Sep 8 #151
No. 1.... TlalocW Sep 8 #140
Thank you TlalocW debm55 Sep 8 #148
The Mexican Lime tree in our back yard DBoon Sep 8 #153
Thank you DBoon. That sounds great. debm55 Sep 8 #154
Wow. Love lime juice! electric_blue68 Sep 9 #196
Jacaranda in full bloom. SunSeeker Sep 8 #155
Wow, SunSeeker . They are beautiful, just beautiful debm55 Sep 8 #158
Very beautiful! electric_blue68 Sep 9 #197
When I lived in Wa, it was old growth k55f5r Sep 8 #165
Oh wow. Would love to see it in person. Thank you k55f5r. debm55 Sep 8 #167
I have several wendyb-NC Sep 8 #177
Thank you wendyb-NC You have a beautiful yard. debm55 Sep 8 #182
Oh, the Elms. In NYC we lost a lot of Elms to this disease in the 60's... electric_blue68 Sep 9 #198
Yes, I remember wendyb-NC Sep 9 #204
Well, you cherish, and remember them. 🌳👍 electric_blue68 Sep 9 #207
Sassafras! femmedem Sep 8 #178
Thank you femmedem. How wonderful! Do you ever make tea from it? debm55 Sep 8 #184
I did as a kid from the sassafras that grew in our backyard. femmedem Sep 8 #186
The peach trees in markodochartaigh Sep 8 #189
Thank you very much markofochartaigh. Your post touched my heart. The trees and the events tied to them forever in your debm55 Sep 8 #191
Japanese Maples Nixie Sep 8 #190
Thank you Nixie. Mine will turn a burgundy in the fall and then the leaves will drop.There are many varieties of the debm55 Sep 8 #192
Madrone MissB Sep 8 #193
i am patial to hemlocks, but i guess yellow birch. they look like bronze at the family cottage. horse chestnut. except pansypoo53219 Sep 8 #194
A few quick tree stories... electric_blue68 Sep 9 #199
Thank you very much, electric_blue68 . You have some very interesting stories. I always though th Magnolia was a warm debm55 Sep 9 #200
There are magnolias at the white house. They're supposedly hardy to -10 degrees. (But probably more like -5) LeftInTX Sep 10 #215
Thank you LeftinTex debm55 Sep 10 #219
So many to love Easterncedar Sep 9 #201
Thank you very much Easterncedar. Your post is very interesting. We have elms around here in SW PA. Majestic trees. debm55 Sep 9 #205
Catalpa and yellow locust are beautiful too Easterncedar Sep 9 #203
Oh that Chinese Dove tree sounds wonderful. Thank you Easterceder. debm55 Sep 9 #206
American Yellowwood, cladrastis lutea RainCaster Sep 12 #226
Thank you Raincaster, Beautiful debm55 Sep 13 #233
California black oak -- Quercus kelloggii RockRaven Sep 12 #230
Thank you very much, RockRaven. Your post is very informative. debm55 Sep 13 #235
Pin Oak Emile Sep 13 #234
Thank you very much Emile. I don't think I have seen an oak like that before but the speaker says it is located in Ohio debm55 Sep 13 #236
The deer and I love our apple trees Evergreen Emerald Sep 13 #237
Thank you Evergreen Emerald. I love how the moms and their babes eat from the apple trees. So relaxing. And I really debm55 Sep 13 #238

debm55

(36,083 posts)
5. Thank you FarPoint I haven't seen any willow trees around here. but other places I have been, I admired their beauty. I
Sat Sep 7, 2024, 11:55 AM
Sep 7

wonder if they are more of a southern tree?

FarPoint

(13,621 posts)
28. I am in Dayton Ohio...
Sat Sep 7, 2024, 01:55 PM
Sep 7

I see them all around this area...especially in pairs...although there are idiots out there that will not recognize the pairing and cut one down...

They typically grow around waterways, near streams etc...

biophile

(350 posts)
6. I have a small collection of Japanese Maples that I love
Sat Sep 7, 2024, 11:56 AM
Sep 7

But I have restricted myself to mostly planting native trees lately. I love great fall color so really any tree that provides beautiful fall foliage! After that, its evergreens to have winter coverage.
I love nature in all of its variations. Except earwigs and poison ivy; it's a personal thing :/

debm55

(36,083 posts)
13. I agree with the native trees. My Japanese Fire trees look like crap starting in the fall. They are beautiful in the
Sat Sep 7, 2024, 12:00 PM
Sep 7

spring and summer. though. with their burgandy leaves and the Fire Balls.

Codifer

(768 posts)
7. Peach tree.
Sat Sep 7, 2024, 11:56 AM
Sep 7

The one we have usually bears abundant fruit (last year zero though). So much in fact that we must use a forest of struts and props to prevent it form tearing itself apart.

debm55

(36,083 posts)
15. At one time we had peach and pear trees . I was told by my neighbor that to give fruit you had to have 2 of each. Yard
Sat Sep 7, 2024, 12:04 PM
Sep 7

was a mess with rotten fruit so I cut them down. Thank you Codifer.

Easterncedar

(3,524 posts)
202. I am a peach fiend
Mon Sep 9, 2024, 07:34 AM
Sep 9

In 2003 I found a sprouted peach pit in my compost. I tended it, and 6 years later had peaches. Magic! In Maine! It’s still going, although I had to move. I always felt that tree was a perfect generous gift of the world to me.

Codifer

(768 posts)
210. The problem with
Mon Sep 9, 2024, 10:22 AM
Sep 9

peaches is that there is a small window of time in which they become ripe and the great number of them there on the tree.

This year was a very abundant year which was great. Our normal practice developed over the years was to distribute flats of them to our pub friends, the people we trade with, the class my wife teaches and the pot store. This year there was Covid in the house (although not me even though I am the eldest at 79.) which limited travel. Fortune was kind though and smiled. A young couple who live next door are expecting and the mom to be developed a craving for them (home peaches seem much jucier and more flavorful than store bought). I picked as many as I could for her as carefully as I could (gloves, masks etc). It feels good to give someone a beautiful and perfect and pleasure-filled bit of nature.

cheers

Easterncedar

(3,524 posts)
211. All true!
Mon Sep 9, 2024, 11:13 AM
Sep 9

A friend here in Maine has a youngish peach tree that did well this year, and I helped her can them, 6 jars, something she had never done before. Then I drove 12 hours west to buy Niagara County peaches, about a bushel, and brought them back to Maine where I put up 17 quarts, while eating as many as I could just out of hand, over cereal, and in pie. Gave a few away, but only a few. I do love them, and the season is so short.

Easterncedar

(3,524 posts)
212. I can only imagine how grateful your neighbor was
Mon Sep 9, 2024, 11:15 AM
Sep 9

How kind of you.
Stay healthy. Covid surely isn’t done with us yet.

rockbluff botanist

(360 posts)
9. Quercus michauxii
Sat Sep 7, 2024, 11:57 AM
Sep 7

Swamp Chestnut Oak.

It is a species of oak in the white oak family. It is native to bottomlands and wetlands in the southeastern and midwestern United States, in coastal states from New Jersey to Texas.

It has large rounded acorns with a heavily scaled cap. Exceptional wildlife mast.

hlthe2b

(106,359 posts)
10. Lindens---very popular in Colorado and when they bloom, oh, the fragrance is heavenly...
Sat Sep 7, 2024, 11:58 AM
Sep 7





Of the non-ornamentals, Oak or Blue Spruce.

Ocelot II

(120,858 posts)
52. Also called basswood. Basswood honey is excellent.
Sat Sep 7, 2024, 08:58 PM
Sep 7

There are a lot of them in my neighborhood, and I really enjoyed just walking past them smelling their wonderful flowers.

hlthe2b

(106,359 posts)
101. I never knew a variety of honey was produced from them, but searching I see it available. I'll have to try...
Sun Sep 8, 2024, 11:07 AM
Sep 8

For me, Linden trees also remind me of my Mom. She's been gone a long time but had attended Lindenwood University (College then) in St. Charles, MO when it was a bit unusual for girls to have attended. The school gets its name from Linden trees--which I had always assumed but never confirmed until I saw their Wiki page today. I also learned that Taylor Swift's grandmother was an alumnus of Lindenwood. LOL

I had never heard the alternate name, Basswood. Interesting.

Ocelot II

(120,858 posts)
109. TIlia americana. Native to my neck of the woods.
Sun Sep 8, 2024, 11:20 AM
Sep 8

"The foliage and flowers are both edible, though the tender young leaves are more palatable. It is a beneficial species for attracting pollinators as well. Bees produce excellent honey with a mildly spicy flavor from its blossoms." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tilia_americana. There are a lot of online sources for the honey - it's really the best honey I know of. It always turns up at farmers markets locally.

debm55

(36,083 posts)
88. Thank you Hithe2b they sound wounderful, I like trees with a scent. We used to have a lilac tree loved it.
Sun Sep 8, 2024, 10:09 AM
Sep 8

arkielib

(354 posts)
11. I love crape myrtle trees.
Sat Sep 7, 2024, 11:58 AM
Sep 7

I have several in my yard. Two are very tall, but one of those is getting taken over and choked out by a fast growing tree in my neighbor's yard.

I also like big oak shade trees (or I used to). We had a huge one in our back yard and one in our front yard. The shade they provided the house was great, but they were old trees and started dropping huge limbs so we had to have them cut down. My sister had what was probably the largest oak tree in town in her backyard (according to her insurance agent) - until strong straight-line winds blew it down on her house and crushed it! She was lucky to have not been crushed herself. She managed to crawl out from under the huge limbs and just had some scrapes. I've been afraid of those trees since then. They apparently do not have very deep roots - for their size, anyway.

debm55

(36,083 posts)
91. Thank you arkielib. I am so glad your sister survived.You have to careful of pines also as their roots do not grow deep
Sun Sep 8, 2024, 10:33 AM
Sep 8

enough.

Jrose

(1,341 posts)
14. Maple trees, especially in autumn, when they display many colors...
Sat Sep 7, 2024, 12:02 PM
Sep 7

... and for their sweet maple sap.

debm55

(36,083 posts)
92. Thank you Jrose I love the colors of the maple trees. They are beautiful. It's getting close to them changing.
Sun Sep 8, 2024, 10:37 AM
Sep 8

catbyte

(35,772 posts)
17. Weeping Birch
Sat Sep 7, 2024, 12:14 PM
Sep 7

We had a huge one in our front yard when I was a kid and I thought it was so exotic, right out of a fairy tale, lol.

in2herbs

(3,129 posts)
147. Technically it may not be a "tree" but it is my favorite as well. The other morning when I was walking I
Sun Sep 8, 2024, 01:17 PM
Sep 8

realized why the Saguaro, and not the pine or other trees is my favorite. It is because a Saguaro does not block out the sunlight, the moon, or other objects in the sky because it grows up, not out like a pine, etc. No matter where you stand you can always see the sky. Not possible in a forest.

HeartsCanHope

(736 posts)
20. The Sweetgum in our front yard.
Sat Sep 7, 2024, 12:43 PM
Sep 7

It has such beautiful leaves in the fall, it's worth raking the gumballs! We didn't plant it, it was here when we moved in.

Niagara

(9,586 posts)
21. I'm interested in purchasing an established
Sat Sep 7, 2024, 12:46 PM
Sep 7

Jane Magnolia Tree
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/magnolia-jane/

or a

Knock Out Rose Tree
https://plankandpillow.com/all-about-the-knock-out-rose-tree/



Several years ago we had over towering White Ash trees that were too close to the house. The trees were planted before the house was built 70 some years ago, so I'm sure the trees weren't towering over the house when it was built.


Eventually, the trees were attacked by the White Ash Borer and both had to be taken down. I burnt all the wood in my firepit for bonfire nights.

With the following trees, they only grow so tall so they will never tower over the house. Plus, they have beautiful flowers on the them. It would be ideal for my yard.

debm55

(36,083 posts)
98. Thank you Niagara. I love the Magnoia trees and their smell. I don't think I have seen a Knock Out Rose Tree around here
Sun Sep 8, 2024, 10:55 AM
Sep 8

Wish you luck. They are expensive to take down now.

LeftInTX

(29,999 posts)
216. I think that picture of the Knockout rose tree is deceptive.
Tue Sep 10, 2024, 04:11 AM
Sep 10

It's merely a Knockout rose bush with the bottom growth removed.
They probably get 4 feet tall or so.


I swear that's a camellia in the picture and not a rose.

Here is how they look in the nursery :


Stock photo from Home Depot. You're paying for them to remove the bottom growth.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/KNOCK-OUT-3-Gal-Red-Double-Knock-Out-Rose-Tree-with-Red-Flowers-13560/315750016

I have a Knockout rose and they're patented.
https://www.knockoutroses.com/family

They aren't fancy roses, but they're popular because they're disease resistant.

LeftInTX

(29,999 posts)
218. I really think that is a picture of a camellia and not a Knockout Rose
Tue Sep 10, 2024, 04:09 PM
Sep 10


Camellias are beautiful, but picky. Check to see if they can grow in your area. Other suitable options are lilacs and rhododendrons/

I used to be a Master Gardener.

SWBTATTReg

(24,094 posts)
45. Love these trees. Had a bunch of them in my small ranch, and had to run off people from stealing the walnuts!
Sat Sep 7, 2024, 04:53 PM
Sep 7

Good grief, nothing is sacred, eh?

Ocelot II

(120,858 posts)
55. I like their looks, but they give off a substance from their roots
Sat Sep 7, 2024, 09:00 PM
Sep 7

that causes some kinds of plants to die. Some things just can't be grown near them - especially plants in the rose family. One of them killed my crabapple tree. Also, the squirrels get the nuts and they leave stains.

Bayard

(24,145 posts)
70. They are poisonous to horses, dogs, and cats
Sat Sep 7, 2024, 11:19 PM
Sep 7

Of course, we have them everywhere, including the pastures. I also hate them because its like trying to walk on ping pong balls.

debm55

(36,083 posts)
99. Thank you surrealAmerican. I was trying to figure out the names of the trees. We use to call them "monkey balls" when I
Sun Sep 8, 2024, 11:02 AM
Sep 8

a kid, I also been hit by them the last couple of times that I walked Dolly. So has she.

yellowdogintexas

(22,722 posts)
123. We always knew when folks had been hulling black walnuts from the stain on their forearms
Sun Sep 8, 2024, 12:03 PM
Sep 8

They are some nasty things to prep but boy do they make fudge, brownies or divinity so good

We used to dump them in the driveway and run the car over them to get the husks off.

electric_blue68

(18,014 posts)
195. I've been on a few wild food walks in Manhattan, and Queens...
Mon Sep 9, 2024, 02:21 AM
Sep 9

In Central Park we found a black walnut tree and took a few green "globes".
Tasty walnuts!

electric_blue68

(18,014 posts)
69. I was thinking of the one mimosa tree in one of my own neighborhoods...
Sat Sep 7, 2024, 11:09 PM
Sep 7

bc It's near the school we used to go to vote. Since I'm thinking, of course, about the election.

And their delicate leaves. Such pretty flowers! 🥰

debm55

(36,083 posts)
100. My neighbors across the street. bought the next lot. And had about ten of them. They were beautiful. When they died and
Sun Sep 8, 2024, 11:05 AM
Sep 8

the house sold. the new buyer had them all cut down. Bummer.

SWBTATTReg

(24,094 posts)
46. These are nice too! Used to have before they all died out, the birds would flock all over them, eat them before I
Sat Sep 7, 2024, 04:54 PM
Sep 7

could pick any! They left a big mess afterwards, w/ their poop!

LeftInTX

(29,999 posts)
80. We have Montezuma and Bald Cypress here
Sun Sep 8, 2024, 02:14 AM
Sep 8

Bald cypress are strictly aquatic here.

Montezuma will grow on land.
It's native from the Rio Grande Valley on south.


Native range:

duncang

(3,599 posts)
166. A lot of them
Sun Sep 8, 2024, 02:13 PM
Sep 8

Just a little east of us same latitude. At our last house we never had to water the cypress there. I knew it wasn’t going to develop knees but it was healthy. I was hoping for the same thing here. But it looks like I’ll have to soak the soil every so often. We were in drought conditions. It’s been doing good this year with the rain we’ve had recently.

LeftInTX

(29,999 posts)
217. I live in San Antonio. We're always in a drought, but I know they grow on land in parts of the south.
Tue Sep 10, 2024, 04:23 AM
Sep 10

Bald Cypress can be a yard tree in East Texas, but not here. We're too dry.

debm55

(36,083 posts)
125. Thank you Sanity Claws We love driving up the mountains here in PA and looking at the trees. It's almost time.
Sun Sep 8, 2024, 12:17 PM
Sep 8

CommonHumanity

(286 posts)
30. I love....
Sat Sep 7, 2024, 02:07 PM
Sep 7

I particularly love cedar trees, but truly how can one choose a favorite? Choosing a favorite might be an insult to God, if I believed in one. Let's just say it is a likely insult to the splendor and mystery of creation. So much majestic, sheltering beauty. Trees boggle my mind, soothe my spirit and give me the inspiration to continue when my spirit feels weak. A bridge between heaven and earth, a presence and a being in every way and a reminder of the wonder around us. I think I love almost every tree.

CommonHumanity

(286 posts)
239. of course you can
Tue Sep 24, 2024, 06:35 AM
Sep 24

I just can't and that's all I said. No need to be defensive, but that is incredibly common on this site. If it is not the same opinion as you hold then take issue with a perfectly harmless post. Ho hum...

debm55

(36,083 posts)
240. Reread my post at #127, I wasn;t defensive, Just said that you can love all trees but have a special type that you are
Tue Sep 24, 2024, 07:12 AM
Sep 24

fond of.

debm55

(36,083 posts)
243. I really don't think God fills insulted by me liking a specific tree, animal, body of water. landforms. humans, birds,
Tue Sep 24, 2024, 03:33 PM
Sep 24

the heavens and admired His creations. and on that Seventh Day He rested. Actually I believe in evolution.not the 7 day theory they taught me in school.

Ilsa

(62,239 posts)
35. Rowan tree, for all of the mythology around it. nt
Sat Sep 7, 2024, 02:32 PM
Sep 7

I also appreciate the beauty of the western hemlock.

PufPuf23

(9,233 posts)
222. Poison hemlock and hemlock trees are not closely related.
Thu Sep 12, 2024, 08:24 PM
Sep 12

Poison hemlock is an herb related to the carrot and that is relatively common but not native to North America.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conium_maculatum

Hemlock trees are evergreen conifers that can grow quite large. There are several species of hemlock native to North America.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsuga

Note: The English-language common name "hemlock" arose from a perceived similarity in the smell of its crushed foliage to that of the unrelated plant poison hemlock. Unlike the latter, Tsuga species are not poisonous.[4]

PufPuf23

(9,233 posts)
225. Been reading this thread for several days, cannot make up mind.
Thu Sep 12, 2024, 10:04 PM
Sep 12

Redwood, Port-Orford cedar, Douglas-fir, Dawn redwood, pepperwood, Brewer Spruce?

Educated and worked for years as a forester, retired over 20 years.

Live in National Forest just inland from Redwood National Park.

Native trees on 0.7 acre lot are Douglas-fir, canyon live oak, California black oak, tanoak (not a Quercus but related), madrone, pepperwood (aka Oregon myrtle or California bay laurel), western dogwood, western redbud and incense cedar; also cherry, pear and fig fruit trees.

Different Drummer

(8,582 posts)
37. I have particular fondness for three different trees.
Sat Sep 7, 2024, 02:40 PM
Sep 7

Japanese Maples (exquisite in fall)

Live Oak (I love the Spanish moss that often hangs from them)

Weeping Willows

subterranean

(3,539 posts)
38. Osmanthus fragrans (Sweet Olive)
Sat Sep 7, 2024, 02:47 PM
Sep 7

Native to East Asia, its small orange flowers give off a wonderfully sweet scent when they blossom in the fall. It's one of my favorite smells in the world.

WestMichRad

(1,812 posts)
41. Quercus alba, white oak
Sat Sep 7, 2024, 03:15 PM
Sep 7

They support about a thousand species of native insects, which in turn feed many other species in the food web. Truly a lynchpin species.

debm55

(36,083 posts)
145. Thank you WestMichRad. Wonderful tree. When I was a teen we lived in White Oak PA named after the trees there.
Sun Sep 8, 2024, 01:10 PM
Sep 8

Nictuku

(3,864 posts)
42. The King of All Trees: The Redwood
Sat Sep 7, 2024, 03:16 PM
Sep 7

There is something that happens when you are 'in' a Redwood Forest. There is nothing like it. I used to live in Mill Valley, surrounded by Redwoods, not far from Muir Woods. I really miss it. I think I need to do a Road Trip soon to go soak up some of the Tall Tree Vibes.

Bob in the Land

(48 posts)
43. Metasequoia (Dawn Redwood)
Sat Sep 7, 2024, 03:20 PM
Sep 7

Thought to be extinct until rediscovered in China. It has a beautiful natural conical shape and dates back to the era of the dinosaurs.

waterwatcher123

(246 posts)
44. Yellow Birch (leaves smell like spearmint).
Sat Sep 7, 2024, 04:25 PM
Sep 7

I have a hard time choosing just one tree (White Pine, Sequoia, Redwood, White and Red Cedar, Hemlock trees all very cool too).

waterwatcher123

(246 posts)
187. Yellow birch are native to the zone where we live (transition from hardwood to boreal forest).
Sun Sep 8, 2024, 07:09 PM
Sep 8

Amazingly, these trees repel insects and live hundreds of years. I suspect most people around where we live (shores of Lake Superior in MN) would have a hard time identifying these trees given that the bark is silver colored instead of the typical white people associate with birch.

Thanks for asking about trees (nice to talk about something other than the destroyer of worlds - Donald Trump). Trees are the antithesis of that man in that they seek nothing other than a chance to grow. I kept a cup my mother gave me that had a quote about an oak tree apropos to current times. It went something like the following Hallmark quote: “ Every mighty oak was once a nut that stood its ground.” We might be nuts for believing in a better tomorrow. But, it is better to be a nut than weird.

waterwatcher123

(246 posts)
214. It was a very nice thread and chance for everyone to express a bit of appreciation for nature's splendor and diversity.
Mon Sep 9, 2024, 07:54 PM
Sep 9

Easterncedar

(3,524 posts)
208. Yellow birch is a favorite of mine
Mon Sep 9, 2024, 08:20 AM
Sep 9

Every now and then I find a big one while wandering in the fields and woods here and am always amazed by the beauty.

waterwatcher123

(246 posts)
213. I remember working with a plant ecologist who said some of our yellow birch trees were hundreds of years old.
Mon Sep 9, 2024, 07:52 PM
Sep 9

Paper birch, which are another amazing tree, only live about 40 years. So, the yellow birch is in a class of its own when it comes to longevity. They also seem to have an incredible ability to regenerate and continue even when the tree's demise seems imminent.

I have to admit I am a fan of trees generally. They are among some of the world's oldest living things (especially the giants like the Redwoods and Sequoias). A long time ago I worked for the City of Minneapolis where we had an annual awards ceremony for heritage trees (largest of a species or related to a historic event or person). It was great fun to see people nominate these urban trees and to describe their value to a neighborhood or community (was also a way to protect these trees).

drmeow

(5,283 posts)
47. Palo Rojo
Sat Sep 7, 2024, 06:20 PM
Sep 7


A hybrid between Palo Verde and Yellow Palo Verde. Had a beautiful one I planted in my backyard in Arizona. The bark is smooth green but turns reddish purple when it gets below a certain temperature (which, unfortunately, happens less frequently than it used to in AZ).

drmeow

(5,283 posts)
174. This is the one that was in my backyard
Sun Sep 8, 2024, 02:53 PM
Sep 8

I agree that it is a beautiful tree - and low water, lots of shade, and fast growing. I absolutely loved it.



applegrove

(123,130 posts)
48. Crabapple because I spent so much time as a kid in my parent's crabapple
Sat Sep 7, 2024, 07:44 PM
Sep 7

tree when I was growing up. I remember one time a neighbour girl who had friends from a rough neighborhood came to our back yard to beat up my older brother and his best friend. My twin and I retreated to the tree and got an overhead view of the standoff. What the rough kids didn't know was that my brother and his friend were the stars of the debate team in the boys private school across the street (read into this complete eggheads). I've never seen so many reasons given for why there should not be a fight. There was peace in the end.

hlthe2b

(106,359 posts)
241. I did too.. made jelly from the crabapples... Also nursed quite a few bee stings, as a result...
Tue Sep 24, 2024, 03:20 PM
Sep 24

Your account sounds a bit less troublesome and a lot more amusing.

electric_blue68

(18,014 posts)
71. The first time I saw one, and in flowering was on a vacation in NYS...
Sat Sep 7, 2024, 11:27 PM
Sep 7

Then a bunch in Central Park.

Lovely flowers!

Ocelot II

(120,858 posts)
74. There's a big one in my front yard.
Sat Sep 7, 2024, 11:49 PM
Sep 7

I always look forward to the flowers, which don't bloom until late spring. Then the thing produces big pods, and in October after the first frost, the leaves, which are huge, suddenly turn brown and fall off all at once. It's a weird tree but I love it.

Figarosmom

(2,671 posts)
78. I had one in the front yard
Sun Sep 8, 2024, 12:08 AM
Sep 8

Always had more ctopping up all over from those large beans ending up everywhere. But I did love it.

electric_blue68

(18,014 posts)
73. Oh, how well (unfortunately!) I know! In my second childhood neighborhood, our park...
Sat Sep 7, 2024, 11:41 PM
Sep 7

Last edited Mon Sep 9, 2024, 01:56 AM - Edit history (1)

had 2 tall female ginkos right next to the main path in the in the back 2/3 rds of the park.
Not a fun time at fruit time! 😄😑 Gak!

OAITW r.2.0

(28,392 posts)
54. An oak tree I transplanted 25 years ago.
Sat Sep 7, 2024, 08:59 PM
Sep 7

Last edited Sun Sep 8, 2024, 05:52 PM - Edit history (1)

It's a healthy 25 YO with an 18" butt. and strong....provides a lot of shade for the house in the summer AM into early PM.

OAITW r.2.0

(28,392 posts)
227. Here's a good pic of my tree...
Thu Sep 12, 2024, 10:30 PM
Sep 12

Last edited Thu Sep 12, 2024, 11:45 PM - Edit history (1)

I got acorns that I want to start this winter....

Lochloosa

(16,402 posts)
59. Live Oak first. I'm an old southern boy. The Redwoods are amazing trees.
Sat Sep 7, 2024, 09:08 PM
Sep 7

Read The Wild Trees by Richard Preston on Redwoods. Fascinating. When they fall, and they always do, they create a fairy ring of future redwoods.



Batshit_Bruin_CA

(55 posts)
62. Jacarandas with blue flowers
Sat Sep 7, 2024, 09:26 PM
Sep 7

And all colors of crepe myrtles, and the flowering poinciana trees in Hawaii (where there are many types of flowering trees

I also loved all the trees of New England that give such beautiful colors in autumn and the crisp chilly mornings where one finally felt fully awake and refreshed after summer's hot humid doldrums I used to try to visit each year that my brother lived in New York.

It's hard to choose just one favorite.

Not forgetting the evergreen forest of the Pacific north west.how I love them too.

Wicked Blue

(6,655 posts)
63. Dogwoods
Sat Sep 7, 2024, 09:46 PM
Sep 7

Especially white-flowering ones.

When we moved to NJ last year we found two red-flowering dogwoods in the back yard. So lovely.

madamesilverspurs

(16,046 posts)
64. Aspen
Sat Sep 7, 2024, 09:47 PM
Sep 7

Love listening to their music when the breeze blows through the leaves. And the fall colors are a visual symphony.


.

happybird

(5,117 posts)
65. Eastern Redbud
Sat Sep 7, 2024, 10:01 PM
Sep 7

When they bloom on the side of road I know it's truly, finally Springtime. They are liberally scattered throughout the woods and along the roadsides around here and the color is uniquely beautiful. The only downside is the blooming period is brief. The redbuds, pears, cherries, daffodils and other early bloomers are such a beautiful combo.

Also a big fan of Weeping Willow. Can't have one here because of the septic field, so I love seeing them in others' yards.

maccafan

(82 posts)
171. I agree
Sun Sep 8, 2024, 02:31 PM
Sep 8

Redbuds are the most beautiful trees. I had two but one died and had to be cut down. Hopefully the other one will last a while longer. Those two weeks in April when they bloom they are magnificent!

electric_blue68

(18,014 posts)
66. Crab apple, or flowering cherry trees bc of the beautiful flowers each Spring. Otherwise, I guess...
Sat Sep 7, 2024, 10:58 PM
Sep 7

Last edited Sun Sep 8, 2024, 01:18 AM - Edit history (3)

Maples, or Lindens.

I might have to think on these two. I really like the leaf shapes.

White Pines, too.
Big Oaks.

I love trees in general. 🌳🥰🌳

I had hoped to see the Giant Sequoias in person, but that's not going to happen.
We actually have a GS in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Bc, I think of our climate it'll never get to the heights of those in Yosemite Park.

Niagara

(9,586 posts)
220. electric_blue, is there any particular reason why you believe that you
Thu Sep 12, 2024, 06:40 PM
Sep 12

will not see the Giant Sequoias in person?

electric_blue68

(18,014 posts)
221. Traveling itself is not really a problem. I don't have extra much money at all...
Thu Sep 12, 2024, 08:04 PM
Sep 12

so I couldn't save up enough.

But I can imagine very well - so I can look at more photos of the groves and get a good sense, and imagine myself there. 👍

Niagara

(9,586 posts)
231. I understand financial difficulties. This year has been financially difficult for me...
Fri Sep 13, 2024, 06:13 AM
Sep 13

I had to replace an unrepairable vehicle and a TV. And now my oven really isn't working properly.


I was reading and watching YouTube videos and I discovered a few interesting topics.


There are different groves in different National Parks in the U.S. that have Giant Sequoias. I didn't realize that.


Also, there's the Redwood Forest which the Redwoods aren't the largest trees but are the tallest trees.


I'm going to do some more reading and YouTube watching today about the National Parks after I get off work.

Bayard

(24,145 posts)
72. Aspen and Blue Spruce (and they look great planted close together)
Sat Sep 7, 2024, 11:32 PM
Sep 7

I planted a few baby Aspens a couple years ago to seen if they would grow in Southern Kentucky. They've done wonderfully well except for the leaf fungus that gets on everything here--trees and flowers. No matter how much you spray, it remains.

We've planted tons of trees since we moved here 10 years ago. Great variety, and some we only had to transplant from our woods, like the red maples, redbuds, sassafrass, and some pines and cedars.

Figarosmom

(2,671 posts)
76. Lots of pretty flowering threes
Sat Sep 7, 2024, 11:58 PM
Sep 7

But my favorite is the linden because of its scent.


And I love the shape of the leaves on the Ginko.

doc03

(36,705 posts)
81. There was an almost virgin patch of woods within walking distance when I was young
Sun Sep 8, 2024, 07:29 AM
Sep 8

where we would hunt squirrel. It was made up of huge beech trees, oak and hickory. It was destroyed by strip mining back in the 70s. There is no particular tree, I don't hunt anymore but I can sit for hours in a forest like that and take in the peace and quiet.

Ocelot II

(120,858 posts)
90. There is a protected area of never-forested white and red pines
Sun Sep 8, 2024, 10:31 AM
Sep 8

in northern Minnesota within the Chippewa National Forest. It's called the Lost 40 because of a surveying error by loggers in 1882 that left about 40 acres untouched. The trees there are 300-400 years old and they're enormous. I visited it a few weeks ago and was gobsmacked at their size. It's an amazing place to visit if you can find it. https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/chippewa/recarea/?recid=26672

parkia00

(577 posts)
85. Plumeria in any color
Sun Sep 8, 2024, 09:19 AM
Sep 8

A short well trimmed (many branches) in a large glazed pottery jardinière on a patio is a sight to behold.

Zambero

(9,764 posts)
105. Coast Redwood
Sun Sep 8, 2024, 11:14 AM
Sep 8

I lived on the northern California coast for several years. Walking through an old-growth redwood forest is an incredible experience.

Zambero

(9,764 posts)
150. You're welcome!
Sun Sep 8, 2024, 01:24 PM
Sep 8

Better yet, if you are ever in the region, go to see hundreds of them as far as the eye can see. My favorite spot is Stout Grove, a few miles east of Crescent City. Accessible by vehicle and featuring relatively flat terrain for an easy but very rewarding hike.

CrispyQ

(38,266 posts)
131. I googled Japanese fire tree & they are gorgeous!!
Sun Sep 8, 2024, 12:26 PM
Sep 8

Their structure reminds me of Dogwood trees which don't grow in my area but I saw one out east one spring & thought how lovely they are. I don't know much about trees but I love them all. In June the Linden trees in my area put out the most wonderful scent. I have a huge Spruce tree in my front yard & watch the squirrels & birds go up the branches near the trunk like a spiral staircase. I'd like to light it for the holidays but I'm pretty sure I should update my electric panel before doing that & get a special circuit. And of course pay someone with a cherry picker.

debm55

(36,083 posts)
133. thank you CrispyQ. I took my class to the Conservatory in Pittsburgh. They had a Japanesse Section with all these
Sun Sep 8, 2024, 12:39 PM
Sep 8

beautiful trees a large pond , a temple and bridges. I wrote down the name of the trees native to Japan. We decided on the Fire Tree.

TexLaProgressive

(12,287 posts)
137. I have sa soft spot for the live oaks of the Crescent City
Sun Sep 8, 2024, 12:57 PM
Sep 8


Funny as these convoluted trees are precious to me, I also love a prefect Texas post oak


The downside is they don't give much color in the autumn.

SunSeeker

(53,664 posts)
155. Jacaranda in full bloom.
Sun Sep 8, 2024, 01:37 PM
Sep 8

Here in Southen California where they were planted by municipalities along the sidewalk, they turn neighborhood streets into a tunnel of purple every May-June. But they're messy and the sap from the blossoms stain car paint. Best appreciated from afar, lol. That's why they stopped planting them along residential streets.

k55f5r

(408 posts)
165. When I lived in Wa, it was old growth
Sun Sep 8, 2024, 02:07 PM
Sep 8

Cedars. There's one in the Gifford Pinchot Nat'l Forest that I measured at 45' circumference that you could get inside through a fissure to an 8' circular room.

wendyb-NC

(3,804 posts)
177. I have several
Sun Sep 8, 2024, 03:10 PM
Sep 8

American Elm, (pretty much gone due to, "Dutch Elm Disease&quot , Sugar Maple, Tamarack, White Birch.

electric_blue68

(18,014 posts)
198. Oh, the Elms. In NYC we lost a lot of Elms to this disease in the 60's...
Mon Sep 9, 2024, 03:00 AM
Sep 9

I watched one on our street corner be taken down. They were quite tall.

Still, some 🩷 did survive, including two on the block just north of us.

wendyb-NC

(3,804 posts)
204. Yes, I remember
Mon Sep 9, 2024, 07:43 AM
Sep 9

I grew up in upstate New York, there were 2 grand Elms 100 feet tall and massive. They seemed to succumb about the same time in 1968-1969. Both had to be taken down as they started loosing large limbs. They were a hazard.

Growing up under their their lush foliage in summer was such a gift, a relief from the sweltering hot days. I'll never forget them, in fact, I still dream of them occasionally.

femmedem

(8,444 posts)
178. Sassafras!
Sun Sep 8, 2024, 03:19 PM
Sep 8

The leaves look like a Dr. Seuss character's footprints and when my husband, who makes musical instruments, cuts into the wood, his shop smells like root beer.



Photo from Wiki Creative Commons

femmedem

(8,444 posts)
186. I did as a kid from the sassafras that grew in our backyard.
Sun Sep 8, 2024, 04:24 PM
Sep 8

I haven't in quite a while. I kind of wish I didn't know that safrole is carcinogenic, because I loved chewing on sassafras twigs.

markodochartaigh

(2,065 posts)
189. The peach trees in
Sun Sep 8, 2024, 08:04 PM
Sep 8

my great-grandparent's orchard. The pear tree in our backyard where I used to eat pears with my Westie. The jacaranda trees in streets across LA seen from my boyfriend's sister's apartment on a hill. The clump of Phoenix reclinata at San Jose State. The LSU gold fig tree in my yard in Texas, when my dog was dying and didn't want any food she did enjoy her last fig. My Valencia Pride mango that Hurricane Irma blew down, but which recovered when I reset it.

debm55

(36,083 posts)
191. Thank you very much markofochartaigh. Your post touched my heart. The trees and the events tied to them forever in your
Sun Sep 8, 2024, 09:20 PM
Sep 8

heart. Thank you so much for sharing with us. Remember you are loved. by us as a family. Take care .Love, Debbie

Nixie

(17,377 posts)
190. Japanese Maples
Sun Sep 8, 2024, 08:22 PM
Sep 8

I always want them when I see them in the plant nurseries, but we don't have the ideal climate for them or the expertise to care for them. They are stunning.

I think this is a Red Dragon: hope I can get the picture to work

https://www.wilsonbrosgardens.com/acer-palmatum-red-dragon-japanese-maple-3g-hg.html

Oh well, I tried to get the pictures to open but have to settle for this link about the varieties.
https://www.thespruce.com/japanese-maple-trees-2130843

OH, I see the maples are also called fire trees, so we have the same favorite!





debm55

(36,083 posts)
192. Thank you Nixie. Mine will turn a burgundy in the fall and then the leaves will drop.There are many varieties of the
Sun Sep 8, 2024, 09:33 PM
Sep 8

tree. All are beautiful.

MissB

(16,092 posts)
193. Madrone
Sun Sep 8, 2024, 09:54 PM
Sep 8

We have one in the center of our driveway, growing at the base of a massive fir tree. It’s been there for a very long time and seems to still be thriving. The coppery skin of the tree is just enchanting.

I’ve always loved the Harlequin Glorybower, aka the peanut butter tree. The leaves smell like peanut butter when you crush them in your hand, and the flowers are simply gorgeous. I had one at the old house but for whatever reasons we’ve never planted one here.

pansypoo53219

(21,724 posts)
194. i am patial to hemlocks, but i guess yellow birch. they look like bronze at the family cottage. horse chestnut. except
Sun Sep 8, 2024, 09:54 PM
Sep 8

stepping on the nuts w/ bare feet. silver birch + big catalpas are awesome. but up north there is a nature walk at the butternut-franklin spot near the cottage. in the swampt section is smells DIVINE. but then i discovered the same smell on our beach near the rock pile. i need to bottle it .

electric_blue68

(18,014 posts)
199. A few quick tree stories...
Mon Sep 9, 2024, 04:14 AM
Sep 9

In Inwood Park northern most Manhattan there’s the last natural forest in that burrough. I couldn't find an answer as to the current oldest trees, though there was a 350 yr old tulip tree that died in the ?1930's.

In the NY Botanical Garden in The Bronx there is the other old growth forest.
When I was in DC around Christmas time I was there to see The Clinton's celebration of American Craftsmanship with 6 special
Xmas trees each displaying ornaments dedicated to one (or mostly) material [paper, fiber, wood, ceramic, glass, and metal] inside the WH lobby in '93. 🥰

I stayed overnight at my cousin's ex-wife's mother's house in ?Georgetown. It's been my only time in DC in the Wintertime
except for 3 inaugurals.

Anyway I started to walk towards the bus to get me to a museum near the WH. Snow had been forecasted for later - but it starred at 9AM. So there was a quarter inch on the ground when I left.

And I got a total surprise tree-wise. There was a Magnolia Tree! See, I had no idea that the Magnolia tree was a broadleaf evergreen! Actually at that time - I had no idea there was such a tree as a broad leaf evergreen! I'd only seen them in late Spring, early Summer - sometimes in bloom! 🩷

debm55

(36,083 posts)
200. Thank you very much, electric_blue68 . You have some very interesting stories. I always though th Magnolia was a warm
Mon Sep 9, 2024, 07:18 AM
Sep 9

weather tree.

LeftInTX

(29,999 posts)
215. There are magnolias at the white house. They're supposedly hardy to -10 degrees. (But probably more like -5)
Tue Sep 10, 2024, 03:52 AM
Sep 10

Easterncedar

(3,524 posts)
201. So many to love
Mon Sep 9, 2024, 07:30 AM
Sep 9

Cedars grab me, every time, with their singular beauty and fragrance, but I will always yearn for the elm-shaded streets of my childhood. Now I find myself paying attention to the magnificent, doomed ash trees all around in Maine, leaves now turning bright yellow or deep burgandy. I see the bare bleak skeletal forests of ash when I go home to New York, and grieve. When the ashes go here, it’s going to be apocalyptic.

Mind you, I have a tall young elm in my yard now, which I will love until it goes, hoping it lives long enough to set seed, as my first did. And I have planted two American chestnuts at the old farm in the hills.

debm55

(36,083 posts)
205. Thank you very much Easterncedar. Your post is very interesting. We have elms around here in SW PA. Majestic trees.
Mon Sep 9, 2024, 07:44 AM
Sep 9

Easterncedar

(3,524 posts)
203. Catalpa and yellow locust are beautiful too
Mon Sep 9, 2024, 07:38 AM
Sep 9

Last edited Mon Sep 9, 2024, 08:17 AM - Edit history (1)

And so many of the trees that I’ve never seen except at the Arnold Arboretum in Boston - Virginia fringe tree with its purple silk, and the Chinese Dove tree, with flowers like a flock of perching white birds, are so memorable 40 years after I lived in Jamaica Plain.

RainCaster

(11,545 posts)
226. American Yellowwood, cladrastis lutea
Thu Sep 12, 2024, 10:25 PM
Sep 12

Beautiful strings of blooms in the spring, and the most spectacular bright yellow fall color. I have one in my front yard and love it.



RockRaven

(16,276 posts)
230. California black oak -- Quercus kelloggii
Thu Sep 12, 2024, 10:57 PM
Sep 12

So many to choose from, of course. Tomorrow my answer might be different.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quercus_kelloggii
An excerpt from the "Ecology" section:

The California black oak is a critical species for wildlife. Oaks (Quercus spp.) may be the single most important genus used by wildlife for food and cover in California forests and rangelands,[7] and California black oak occupies more total area in California than any other hardwood species. Livestock also make heavy use of this species for food and cover.

Older trees affected by heart rot have cavities which provide den or nest sites[2] for owls, various woodpeckers, tree squirrels, and American black bears. Trees provide valuable shade for livestock and wildlife during the hot summer. California black oak forest types are heavily used for spring, summer, and fall cover by black bears.

It is browsed by deer and livestock.[8] Acorns are heavily used by livestock, mule deer, feral pigs, rodents, mountain quail, Steller's jays, and woodpeckers. Acorns constitute an average of 50% of the fall and winter diets of western gray squirrels and black-tailed deer during good mast years. Fawn survival rates increase or decrease with the size of the acorn crop.

It is a preferred foraging substrate for many birds. All of 68 bird species observed in oak woodlands of the Tehachapi Mountains of California used California black oak for part of their foraging activities. Acorn woodpecker, Bullock's oriole, and Nashville warbler show strong preferences for California black oak. The parasitic plant Pacific mistletoe (Phoradendron villosum), which commonly grows on this oak, produces berries that attract birds, as well.[3]

debm55

(36,083 posts)
236. Thank you very much Emile. I don't think I have seen an oak like that before but the speaker says it is located in Ohio
Fri Sep 13, 2024, 09:18 AM
Sep 13

Valley. I will look for them on my walks.

Evergreen Emerald

(13,095 posts)
237. The deer and I love our apple trees
Fri Sep 13, 2024, 09:45 AM
Sep 13

The deer moms leave their babies on one side of the yard, and then eat the apples off the trees, and on the ground, on the other side of the yard.

debm55

(36,083 posts)
238. Thank you Evergreen Emerald. I love how the moms and their babes eat from the apple trees. So relaxing. And I really
Fri Sep 13, 2024, 10:20 AM
Sep 13

like the trees are beautiful in the spring.

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