I know this is not the right forum to be posting this on but I also know that a lot of eyeballs see what's posted on this forum daily and a lot of knowledgeable one at that.
I was in Ashville,N.C. at Biltmore Estate the past 2 days. Along the roadside I noticed some trees growing on the ditchbanks with purple flowers on them that resemble foxglove blooms. I stopped and asked someone what they were and was told that the tree is cottonwood but when I do a search for cottonwood it sure doesn't look like the trees I saw.
Anyone have an idea what it might have been? Sorry no picture.
purple flowering tree
David, was it this tree?
PAULOWNIA http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=42353&item=4373344715&rd=1#ebayphotohosting
Ada,
You know I can always count on you!!! That would be it. I didn't get a very good close up of the bloom but the branches that I brought back with me had buds on them and they are identical.
The guy I aksed about this tree told me that it will root in water and he was kind enough to share a large branch of his tree with me.
that's a beautiful tree. makes me miss the jacarandas we have in san diego.
Hi David,
They grow here, too.We had one in our back yard growing up.
Beautiful and messy.
And my Mom got tired of yelling at us kids for 'smoking' the cigar shaped seed pods. Pretend, but she didn't like it.
So my Dad cut it down. But he fought seedlings the next decade until he finally got them all.
I always missed how pretty it is.
But one of the farms down the road has a nice one. So I always stop to enjoy it in spring. And no, don't smoke the 'cigars' any more, either ..lol
But great memories of my brothers and me and getting our Mom mad (o: ha
Ah Alice, Thats a great story. I remember doing that also as a child. Pretending the pods were cigs or cigars. LOL We all did that as kids until my friend placed one in his mouth and it was coverd with Poop from all the caterpillars that invaded the tree for food. We closely inspected the pods from that time on and kinda grew out of the smoking habit. LOL
Too funny, Kin.
David, have that lawn mower ready to mow down all those little seedlings. LOL I planted a Golden Rain tree years back and I got tired of pulling seedlings and dug it out. I still have a few seedlings that show up every now and then.
Does anyone know if this tree can be rooted from cuttings? The man I got the cuts from told me it was a cottonwood tree. He also told me that I could root it by cuttings placed in water with a little sugar added.
Wish I could give you an answer, David but I don't know.
Here's another description of the tree:
http://plants.thompson-morgan.com/uk/product/4789/1
That was very nice of the man. I had been given one and gave it away because my yard is damp. Wish I had known they like the wet. I have been told they root very easily.
The tree is also called a Princess Tree. In parts of Asia they used to plant a tree when a daughter was born and when she was old enough to get married, it was her dowry. The wood was prized and very expensive.
Moonglow, the jacarandas are blooming here now, they are so pretty, like purple clouds.
Calalily, they do that here too....but they plant a grove of poplars....not so prized of wood and very cheap....but they are fast growing, and in 15 yrs time they would have quite a bit of lumber out of one gove.
My mother hated Catalpa trees.. The neighbor boys used ot chase her with the catalpa worms..