trees worth propagating

The tulip poplar thread reminded me of a tree I pass each day on my way to work. It is a tulip poplar, but with a very unique form. Although it is perhaps forty feet tall, maybe more, it is branched full and dense right to the ground, almost like an American Holly. So far, the branches have not grown too far out from the trunk, maybe 15' in each direction.

This is not like any tulip poplar I've ever seen. Could it be some named form? It's in a small front yard in a working class neighborhood without any other bazarre trees around, so I'm I'm wondering if it could be a seedling.

Secondly, back in September I remarked to a friend that it is a shame that the beautiful, bright red berries of American Dogwood do not persist longer than they do. Today, 12-23, I happened upon a dogwood with a heavy crop of fruit still on the tree. A bit shriveled, but bright red and pretty. Is this unusual? It seems so to me, and I'm wondering if the tree ought to be propagated.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

Scott

Scott, try to propagate both of them before something bad happens. You can sort out the details later. I had been observing a dense, dwarf Maclura in a fencerow in southwestern Illinois for several years, thinking that I should propagate it as a specialty selection for people who are doing historic restoration projects involving farm hedgerows. It would make a low-maintenance job out of the annual trimming chore. But it was bulldozed before I got myself into gear. Don't let that happen to you.

Guy S.

Guy,
I will do that. Now, for the tricky bit about approaching stranger's doorsteps and trying to explain why I want to take pieces of their trees with me!

I'm sure the stories plant geeks could tell from such situations could prove very amusing.

Before I get too excited about the dogwood...Is anybody familiar with a dogwood that is still holding its fruit this late in the season?

Scott

My dogwood with red berries is now a Cotoneaster bullatus .... with the red berries persisting a/c not enough stormy snowy winter weather yet (Hoorah!). The more orange berries on the Cotoneaster horizontalis (?) look good too.

Bill in Portugal Cove-St. Philip's, NL, Canada zone 5a

Scott, our dogwoods here in NC hold their fruit for quite a long time. Here it is Jan 7 and we still have berries.

The berries tend to be there until the birds eat them and it seems the save them for extreme cold weather (my guess?). The weather hasn't anything to do with them dropping off; I've witnessed them staying on quite a long while. Then, it's like someone pushed a button (the "Weather Ma'rm"?) and the birds decide to pig out and soon the berries are gone. (I also noticed this same thing with a hanging basket of Guam Peppers I was growing...fully loaded with HOT peppers until one cold day last winter I heard a ruckus and the birds were devouring them!)

I would encourage you to propagate that dogwood anyway. I love 'em!

Shoe

You know, it's funny, the same thing happens with our "Louisa" crabapple. The berries hang on and on until on one single afternoon the starlings decide they're "done." Then, bam!, they descend and denude the tree in an hour or two. I don't know why the bother, to be honest with you, they don't seem to retain the crabapples any longer than I retain beer.

Scott

You know, Scott, you may have stumbled into something there.

If the darn wildlife would just put out a few chilled tapped kegs for the humans (who are thoughtful enough to provide THEM with such a smorgasbord) then life would have some equivalence.

Decumbent: I have native dogwood trees planted that retain their berries thru winter time and eventually birds eat them up. I checked to find out more about dogwoods.There are 17 species of dogwoods and 3 of these obtain tree size. 6 are found in Missouri growing naturally. In southern states Cornus florida can grow as tall as 40 feet with a trunk diameter of 14 inches. That would hold a lot of beautiful berries I'm sure! A lot of nice blooms in the spring too.

cuckoo

"I don't know why the bother, to be honest with you, they don't seem to retain the crabapples any longer than I retain beer. "

Scott, that's hilarious! And I agree! Those berries go thru them like grease thru a goose!