The builders left us a clump of trees in the back yard. I can identify a liquid amber and a couple pines but I haven't been able to ID these two even after looking through a Texas native tree website.
Any ideas?
This one is very tall and is developing some little berry/flowerbuds/somethin' or other.
This one is small and the leaves turn red in the fall.
The second one is a Chinese tallow http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/32151/index.html
it is considered an invasive species in Texas.
The first one I can't tell.
Josephine.
Well durn, it's actually a pretty nice looking little tree :(
Thanks Josephine.
Yes it is, and the Fall color is really nice too.
One more ID please.
Is this a little oak?
If it is, you don't want it that close to the fence.
Yeppers if it is I'm going to try to move it.
The Chinese Tallows around here were visited by the Cedar Waxwings this past winter, they were covered with berries.....it is a very nice tree, I wouldn't remove it just because it is considered invasive. I have two babies I am trying to grow...wish they were as big as yours.
The third tree is an oak, I don't know which one. It looks very healthy.
Josephine.
Thanks again Josephine.
Gardenpom, it's gonna be a tough decision.
After reading all the negatives on the plant files, I'm reconsidering also. My seedlings came from my neighbors tree, which they cut down this early spring. I was dissapointed because I saw so many birds enjoying the tree, warblers, woodpeckers and the cedar waxwings. Now I may pull mine up before they get bigger. Knowing they are from China doesn't help. I don't want to keep a tree that is damaging the ecosystem. I will need to look for a replacement.
The first picture may be these
Nyssa Sylvatica
Sour gum
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/1476/index.html
Look at the close up by Melody
I have them also
Prickle,
The second photo shows what appears to be a very damaged or hollow tree trunk. If it's as bad as it looks in the photo, consider removing it. Damaged bark will very often heal over without any long lasting effects, but that damage appears to go deeper.
That little tree growing close to the fence does look like an oak. The leaves resemble Blackjack Oak leaves, but the edges are too wavy in the photo and too small. There is something about the plant that just doesn't look right to be an oak. I've been through A & M's native trees database and found only 2 oaks with leaves that resemble those of your plant. One is the Blackjack, but as mentioned above, the leaves in the photo are too small and wavy. However, check the tips of the leaves. The UT database shows the underside of the leaves with a little point at the end of each projection.
http://www.sbs.utexas.edu/bio406d/images/pics/fag/quercus_marilandica.htm
The other is a water oak. I don't think it's that either. We have tons of water oaks on our ranch and the match is not close enough either. The leaves look familiar, but I can't put a name to it.
Princessnonnie: It's really hard for me to tell. The leaves are so nondescript it could be just about anything. I'm going to keep an eye on the berry/bud thingies and see what they do.
Bettydee: Thanks for the heads up on the split tree. It looks like it's been that way for a very long time, it's not recent damage but I wouldn't want it to land on my house someday.
Regarding the oak seedling, you think it may not be an oak at all?
Thank you both for the help you've given me.
Did you see the botany quiz for today?
Apparently the twigs of Nyssa sylvatica, (Black gum, Sour gum) are very difficult to break off..I'm going to go try mine right now..
Lynn
third pic is a young shumard oak?
This message was edited Jun 11, 2007 12:47 PM
Princessnonie. I think you nailed it. It's dropped a couple bright red leaves that look just like the picture of the sour gum's.
dmj1218: Hmm...more research for me then, lol. I thought live oaks all had smooth ovalish leaves.
The small oak looks alot like our chinqapin oak. They are very hardy here I think, but they do make huge seeds that drop everywhere. DH wanted this one, but I bet he won't want to clean up after it.
I've never seen lobed leaves on live oak trees. Prickle, live oak leaves can vary. The edges can be smooth or slightly spiny. All three varieties of Q. virginiana are found in Texas, but the sand live oak is not as common. They can hybridize with each other. Q. virginiana is found closer to the coast. The Texas live oak is found mostly in the hill country and is know as Q. virginiana var fusiformis or as its own species Q. fusiformis.
I can see the results of that hybridization here on the ranch. Some of our live oak trees have some fusiformis in their genetics. Others have mostly virginiana.
The leaves in the 2nd post pictrure almost look like those of a Cottonwood/poplar.
I'm 99.9 percent sure it's a chinese tallow tree :)
Oh yes, Prickle, Frostweed is correct..tree two is a chinese tallow..
Wonderful reliable color in our area but, as noted, invasive and a threat to native trees..
2nd tree is definately a tallow... i had one in the back yard at the first house...i never had any issues with it other than the little 'balls' it drops ...and babies trying to eat em...
The color on chinese tallow is wonderful and I have recently noticed that some of the trees have catkin-like blooms with a lovely fragrance..One of the major problems with them however, is that they are a "pioneer species"..this means they are one of the first things to grow on disturbed land, like a cleared area..they are so prolific they keep the native vegetation from regrowing. In a landscape they do tend to have a jillion little seedlings, but they are easily mowed down.. I believe it is illegal now for nurseries to sell them in Texas...
Lynn
