Shrub identification

This is a long shot, but can anyone take a stab at identifying this shrub? All I have is a stick.

I just realized how ridiculous I must sound, trying to get an ID on a stick. Anyway, if you're game, go take a look at the images:

http://whitinger.net/~dave/mystery1/

I made the pictures really big, so you could see the detail on the cutting. Does this look familiar to anyone? Can you at least identify the genus?

I found a bundle of these in an area of the farm that had previously had something growing, but had all been cut down and left laying. The wierd thing is, the cuttings are still as fresh as the day they were cut down. Shrug. I don't want to go through the trouble of doing hardwood cutting propogation on these unless they are something worth keeping.

Dave

Dave,

After looking at your pictures I would agree with your statement that "All I have is a stick".
Honestly I couldn't find any pictures in my books that I could say for sure were your stick. I don't think anyone is going to be 100% sure.
Why not do the hardwood propagation and see what they are? At the very least it will make a good story.

Sari

Okay, I'll propogate these, but only a few and see what happens. But if anyone in the meantime has a guess, I'd love to hear it.

Dave

Had a quick look in a tree book - possibly Water Birch (Betula occidentalis)? The book has a picture, and the bark is scarred, rather than pock-marked like yours. Book says:

Native to western N. America, where it tends to be rather shrubby, forming dense thickets along streamsides. Height 20-25ft but may be shrubby in cultivation. (A bit about flowers (catkins) and leaves, which you don't have.) Young leaves and twigs are rather sticky. Bark is shiny dark brown, almost black, and does not peel into layers.

I think it is a Stickamus idontknowth. hee, hee, Sorry, couldn't resist....bye, Lisa

Your question isn't odd. I took Hort 101 at Purdue & the entire course consisted of identifying dormant shrubs & trees from their twigs & memorizing their growth habits, flowers etc... Unfortunately that was 20 years ago & I never used my Hort degree for anything other than hobby so I can't help you.

I think birch is a good possibility. I'd take or send it to either your county agent or the nearest Ag U for positive ID.

Alrighty, well I've got this mystery stick between 4 inches of moist sand in my fridge right now! If it manages to form the callus, we'll be able to see what this fellow looks like come spring.

http://davesgarden.com/gj/dave/viewentry/1714.html

Dave

You know Dave you might want to be careful about having sticks in your fridge. If company were to see something like that they might wonder even more about you...I can hear it now he's such a garden freak he's even eating sticks now! LOL!!! Just tell'em they're really good dipped in root'n hormone.

Hehehee - I don't think Trish would let me use the main fridge for this. We have two houses on our farm - one we live in and the other is my own house for all my gardening/office stuff. It also has a kitchen with a fridge/freezer, which I'm putting to good use.

Birch was the first thing that popped into my mind, the second one was Pussy Willow.

weebus

So how big are these sticks? I read an article in one of our local papers recently about how "chewing sticks" (a pre-toothbrush dentrifice) are making a comeback (everything old is new again????) Having sticks laying (lying?) around your house may be the next big trend, and Dave's just ahead of the curve. Personally, I can't see giving up the fresh minty taste of my toothpaste, but to each his own.

Well, I went through the hardwood cutting propogation process with these sticks, and today they are starting to bud!! Soon I'll have leaves and maybe we can get it identified.

Dave

Dave, could it be Crepe Myrtle do you think?

No, I don't think it's a crepe myrtle. In looks similar, but definitely not. I could be wrong though!!

Dave

Don't know what the sticks are, but what a great idea, two houses - one for Dave and his sticks and the other for Trish!

Dave, my vote is for the birch - that's what the white marks on the bark look like. I do not think it is willow - the buds were wrong
HTH

We should have some leaves within a week! I can't wait to see what the leaves look like. I'll definitely post a photo in the plant id forum when they come.

dave

Dave, I tried to day to look at your pic of this plant and got a '404' error... not found. Maybe since you got a new server, it lost the link?

Dave, If you get pictures of the leaves and have still not ID'd it, please download the pic. I sent in the photos to the UW horticulturalist. If it is still a mystery, the leaves would help. It looked so interesting , with the spots. Years ago, I picked up a straight piece of driftwood from the Oregon coast, with large patterned spots-never used it in crafts -too pretty on it's own.