Back in June I posted a photo of this first plant when it was smaller. No ID yet but with all the new members who have joined since then I am hoping someone will know what it is. It seems to be a slow grower and non blooming. One main stem with leaves opposite, one set grows on the north/south side of the stem, the next set on the east/west side of the stem. Still unknown ( photo / image / picture from toni's Garden ) There are three of this one out in the side yard, mostly shade but in the summer it gets some late afternoon sun. Also, one stem but instead of two leaves at a time, the stem grows an inch or so and puts out a leaf, another inch or so and puts out another leaf on the other side of the stem. In the three years they have been growing I have yet to see any blooms. Another unknown ( photo / image / picture from toni's Garden ) Any ideas??
Could the top one be a type of lilac? They have heart shaped leaves, and can take 4-5 years to start blooming. Need to run home to look at the neighbors leaf pattern, but on line, looked like they may be opposite. See poem by Walt Whitman http://www.bartleby.com/142/192.html "In the door-yard fronting an old farm-house, near the white-wash'd palings, Stands the lilac bush, tall-growing, with heart-shaped leaves of rich green, With many a pointed blossom, rising, delicate, with the perfume strong I love, With every leaf a miracle......and from this bush in the door-yard, 15 With delicate-color'd blossoms, and heart-shaped leaves of rich green, A sprig, with its flower, I break."
Two tall green plants, non-blooming but pretty Toni, Come see my unknown plant in the new post. I think we have similar leaves but I have a zillion lil flowers in a cluster on top of each stem in the later summer. See's to have rhizomes as roots. Barb in Pa.
Karrma, I don't think it could be a Lilac, they don't grow well down here. We do have a Texas Lilac but it's a Vitex agnus-castus (Chaste Tree, Texas Lilac) Barb, these have been returning to my yard for the last about 3 years and I have never seen a bloom.
Just checked our neighbors lilac. It has lost about half of the leaves, but the leaves are opposite each other. Leaves are supposed to be very smooth on the lilac. Opposite leaves are common in the following genera: Acer (maple), Buxus (boxwood), Cornus (dogwood), Euonymus, Fraxinus (ash), Lonicera and Viburnum The leaf looks like the Lonicera Japonica.
Nope, none of those. The leaves are not the same as any of those trees, there is no branching that would imply a tree either. It is not a vine, just one strong stem with leaves. I'll go out tomorrow and get measurements of the leaves.
Can't see the pics real up and close and of course I have no idea what grows over there. But I'd compare to my Catalpa and mulberry. I could aldo be very far-off!
Hi Toni, I was going to mention catalpa for the first tree. Do they grow down there by you. Up here they are a horribly smelly tree while in blossom and VERY messy when they go to shed their seeds. When we were kids we called them bean trees because the seed pods looked like gigantic green beans. The second one reminds me of something and hopefully it will come to mind pretty soon. I have looked at the pics several times thinking they each remind me of something and this morning as I sat down a looked again the catalpa popped into my head and here calin said it, also. Is the second one deciduous and woody? it has maple looking leaves, but is not a maple. All maples have their leaves in pairs opposite up the stem. I am really leaning towards a shrub of some kind, though, and not a tree.
Two tall green plants, non-blooming but pretty Look at the bottom picture on this page. http://www.ehleringer.net/Biology_5460/ ... oides.html Could that be her plant? Barb
That's what I am thinking. IMO They aren't a "keeper" tree. they are SMELLY and messy. If you crush a leaf or scratch the bark you'll notice a musty/musky odor. It should have been named catalpa bignonioides odoriferous if it smells like the ones around here.
Pretty green plant but not MFvine I planted, new photo Photos I posted in June of the plant a few inches shorter. Carolyn, the second one is woody and deciduous...slow growing too.
Very intriging Toni. I don't have the answer, but will be interested when somebody does. I have a customer that is nuturing a small volunteer Catalpa. (she is on an acreage, and wants it to grow) The leaves on it seem smoother than these and the veins are not as visible The second photo looks like a volunteer tree sapling of some kind. At first, I thought Maple... but that has been ruled out I guess. I'll stay tuned!
The first one could very well be a Catalpa bignonioides Southern Catalpa. There are several in the neighborhood and even though they don't handle our heat all that well you do see a lot of them in yards and along the roadway. I am leaning more to the second tree being .. Liquidambar styraciflua Sweet Gum. They are very common around here, in fact there are some growing along the sidewalk where my Mom lives. This weekend I will have to investigate further when I go for a visit. Thanks for the help, I was looking for different Maples just in case since there is a maple tree two houses down from us, when I found a referrence to what was called a Monkey Ball tree....it's another name for Sweet Gum....the balls it produces are also sometimes called Witches ball I have no room for more trees in the yard. It's filled with Chinaberry, Hackberry and Pecan trees now that have to be thinned out....too much shade!! So they will all have to come out this fall.
