The World´s Tree Species

Cook Island Pines in Oropesa Del Mar

2012-01-01T23:40:00.000+01:00

I recently came across several Cook Island Pines in Oropesa del Mar (Spain) located along the beech. For some years I had been wanting to photograph the pollen cones of this tree species but the closest that I had come was to one tree with the pollen cones about 20 meters high at the top of the tree. This time I was lucky to have the pollen cones within my reach close to the ground (images above and below). One curious thing about these cones is that they grow at the terminal ends of of the long whorled leaves.

Almost all of these Cook Island Pines (Araucaria columnaris) showed the characteristic curved trunk like the one below. This is one of the best ways to distinguish the Cook pines from their close cousins the Norfolk pines.

The image below is of the Cook pines seed cones which are about the size of softballs. One curious thing about these cones is that the seeds are incorporated into the scales. Each scale that falls to the ground contains a winged seed (see bottom image).

Other Araucarias in this blog...

The Beauty of Autumn

2011-11-04T11:42:00.001+01:00

Few things are more beautiful than trees in their autumn colors. The image above is of a ripe acorn of a Portuguese oak in fall color.

A heart shaped poplar leaf resting on a moss covered rock.

An old wood gate in a rock wall beside a Walnut tree.

Looking up into the branches of a Large Leaf Linden in full Autumn color.

Spotten leaves with a Leopard like pattern.

Montpelier Maple leaf in red fall color.

Cottonwood leaf floating in a stream.

Horse Chestnut - Buckeye images

2011-10-14T00:17:00.001+02:00

I came across a Horse Chestnut tree (also called Buckeye in some parts) earlier this year at a moment when the spiky green seed pods were at a very intriguing stage in their formation. They looked like what you might imagine a bacteria would look like under a powerful microscope, with an almost alien look. The lighting conditions were such that I was able to take few pictures in which the soft lighter green spikes really stood out against the background. Perhaps these images speak for themselves without further explanation.

Some of the little spiky balls had just formed from the flower stage and were not much larger than a marble.

I also got a couple of interesting shots of the Horse chestnut leaf margin (below) and the leaf stem.

In this image one can see how the Horse chestnut palmate leaf attaches to the stem. This is one good way to help distinguish this tree from the true Chestnut Castanea sativa.

Chestnut Season

2011-10-09T20:10:00.000+02:00

It is Chestnut season once again which means that this is a good time to revisit the question of how to tell an edible Sweet Chestnut from a non-edible Horse Chestnut (also called Buckeye). I will first provide some images to help accurately identify the edible Sweet Chestnut and then I will provide some for the non-ebible Horse Chestnut.

First the edible Sweet Chestnut from the Castanea sativa tree...

The image above is of the Sweet Chestnut leaf

The seed pods of the edible Sweet Chestnut are very easy to distinguish from the non-edible Horse Chestnut. Those of the edible chestnut are very "spiky" with sharp, pointy, needle-like spikes that are about 2cm long. The spikes completely cover the surface of the edible Sweet chestnut´s seed pod.

Non-Edible Horse Chestnut of the Aesculus hippocastanum tree...

The seed pod of the non-edible Horse Chestnut (also called Buckeye) is quite different. It has short stubby points that are not as stiff nor as sharp as those of the edible Sweet Chestnut. It´s stubby spikes do not cover the whole surface of the seedpod and are only about half a centimeter in length.

The image below is of the Horse Chestnut seed outside of its seed pod. These round but somewhat irregular shaped seeds range in size from approx. 2-4 cm in diameter. One way to tell them apart from edible chestnuts is by the fact that these seeds have no pointy end whereas the edible Sweet Chestnuts always have a pointy end.

A word of caution for chestnut hunters who live in areas where both the Horse Chestnut and Sweet Chestnut trees grow. Don´t trust a chestnut just because you found it near or under a sweet chestnut tree. It is not uncommon for these two trees to grow in close proximity to each other in city settings. Edible chestnuts always come from very spiky seed pods and always have a pointy end on the seed.

Swedish Whitebeam - Sorbus x intermedia

2011-05-27T16:32:00.000+02:00

Common name(s): Swedish whitebeam
Scientific name: Sorbus x intermedia (triple hybrid between s. aucuparia, s. torminalis, s. aria)
Family: Rose - Rosaceae
Native range:   Southern Sweden and nearby areas
Type: deciduous
Non-native range: Planted as an urban ornamental tree
Average height range: 10 - 20 meters
Forest or habitat:
Wood density and quality:
Leaf shape: orbicular - obtuse (almost circular)
Leaf arrangement:
Leaf margin: lobate - serrate
Leaf venation: pinnate
Leaf stem: 1cm approx.
Leaf surface:   dark green, glabrous, (Reverse - grayish-green, pubescent (hairy))
Inflorescence: Corymb
Flower: White, 5 petals, 1cm
Reproduction: tetraploid apomictic
Fruit: Orange to read oval pome
Edible?: no
Seed dispersal mechanism: birds (Thrushes and Waxwings)
Bark: Gray and fairly smooth
Traditional uses: ornamental
Commercial uses:   ornamental
Invasiveness:   unknown

_______________________________
Árboles madrileños, Antonio López Lillo y Antonio López Santalla, 2007, Obra Social Caja Madrid.

Norway Maple - Acer platanoides L

2011-05-20T14:19:00.001+02:00

Common name(s): Norway maple
Scientific name: Acer platanoides L.
Family: Soapberry family (Sapindaceae)
Native range: East central Europe to southwest Asia
Type: Deciduous
Non-native range: widely planted as an urban tree in cities and parks
Average height range: 20-30 meters
Forest or habitat:
Wood density and quality: hard, good for furniture, color is pale-yellow to reddish.
Leaf shape: palmate
Leaf arrangement: Opposite
Leaf margin: lobed, spiny (1-7 teeth-like points per lobe)
Leaf venation: palmate
Leaf stem: 5-8 inches, 8-20 cm
Leaf surface: glabrous (smooth, not hairy)
Inflorescence: corymb like panicle
Flower: five sepals and five petals 3–4 mm, inconspicuous
Pollinating agents: ?
Fruit: double Samara pair
Edible?: no
Seed description: flattened disk-like with “wings” (samara)
Seed dispersal mechanism: wind blown Samara
Bark: gray-brown, grooved
Traditional uses: ornamental, shade
Commercial uses: furniture and wood-turning (banister spindles etc.)
Invasiveness: Moderate in some areas, (banned in New Hampshire and Massachusetts)
Threats: Asian long horned beetle,
Iconic or symbolic value: Maple leaf is the national symbol of Canada and is represented on its flag.

Heart shaped tree leaves

2011-05-11T17:09:00.001+02:00

Indian bean tree (Catalpa)

Lilac (Syringa vulgaris)

Redbud (Cercis siliquastrum)

Empress tree (Paulawnia tomentosa)

Ficus petiolaris

Large-leaved Linden mite leaf galls

2011-05-09T23:06:00.001+02:00

These are images of some rather bizarre leaf galls on a Large-leaved Linden (Lime) tree in Madrid, Spain. I believe that the little critters who caused these galls are some sort of mite (see bottom images).

I opened up one of the galls and found about 20 or so of the little mites inside.

Tulip tree flower

2011-05-07T19:12:00.000+02:00

Getting good images of the Tulip tree flower can be quite a trick due to the trees tall height and the fact that the flowers are usually so far off the ground that you can only get a glimpse of them. A few days ago however I came across a fairly young tree that had flowers as low as five feet off the ground. These images are from that tree.

Fig leaf - Ficus carica - shape, venation, margin, texture

2011-05-05T22:23:00.000+02:00

Fig leaves are probably most famous for the biblical mention of Adam and Eve covering themselves with these leaves after they sinned. Personally I can´t imagine anyone wearing these rather rough and sandpaper textured leaves. Or perhaps the first couple covered themselves with the leaves of another member of the ficus family. These fig leaves come from the Edible Fig - Ficus carica. As can be seen from the images Fig leaves are very deeply "lobed". The edible fig does drop it leaves each year. The image below is of the autumn colors.

The following image shows the bright green color of the fig leaf as well as its lumpy surface. What is not see easy to see from the image is its rough, sandpaper like texture on the top side.

The image below is of the reverse (underside) of the leaf, which is a lighter green color and is also rough but with stiff pubescent hairs. It is also very "rugose" with the veins being very visible and pronounced.

The venation of the fig leaf is "reticulate" with the secondary veins forming a network pattern. Each of the lobes also has a main vein that branches of from the rachis.

The margin is "serrate" with rounded teeth that point slightly forward.

Summary...
Shape: Lobate
Margin: Serrate
Consistency: thick and stiff
Venation: Reticulate
Texture top side: Rugose
Texture reverse: Pubescent
Color: bright green, yellow-orange in autumn
Petiole: 2-6cm

One fig growing out from inside another

2011-05-04T19:38:00.000+02:00

I came across a fig tree with a bumper "breva" (first crop) crop of figs. As I was taking some pictures I noticed several figs where on fig was growing out from the inside of another fig forming a sort of double fig. The images speak for themselves.

Fir tree transparent bud scale capsules

2011-04-27T19:00:00.000+02:00

These are images of the bud "scale" capsule like coverings that are shed by the Abies nordmanniana (Nordman fir) in mid-late spring when the new needle like leaves begin to emerge. The scale coverings are thin and transparent and a shed almost as if they were thin egg shells.

Graveyard cypress trees - Cupressus sempervirens

2011-04-25T23:36:00.000+02:00

By for the most common tree species in European cemeteries is the Mediterranean Cypress (Cupressus sempervirens). As a result it comes as no surprise that one of this tree species common names is "graveyard cypress". The connection between these tall upright Cypress trees (fastigiate crown) and graveyards is not a new. For several thousand years the Mediterranean cypress has been a symbol of mourning in the classical antiquity (Greece and Rome) and more recently in the Muslim world and in Europe. There are several factors that possibly contributed to this. One being the trees longevity, with it not being uncommon for the tree to live for 1,000 years. Another factor being the tall narrow shape as if the tree were pointing heavenward or as if it were standing guard over the tombs of the departed. The images in this post are from a cemetery in Spain.

Black locust - Robinia pseudoacacia

2011-04-25T00:11:00.000+02:00

The Black locust tree (species name: Robinia pseudoacacia) is native to the southeastern United States but is widely planted in other regions as an urban ornamental tree. It is also grown as a honey plant in some countries.

The flower of the Black locust tree is a loose hanging "raceme" inflorescence. The individual flowers have a "papilionaceous" (butterfly like) shape (see image below). In Spain these flowers are sometimes called "pan y quesito" (bread and cheese) in reference to the fact that the flowers are edible. To give them a try all you have to do is pluck the petals from the flower base and nibble on the soft, sweet base of the petals. Some have even made a syrup from this sweet nectar.

The leaf arrangement of the Black locust tree is parallel, compound and odd-pinnate with the individual leaves having an "ovate" to slightly "obcordate" (heart) shape.

The Black locust is also a thorn tree although from my observations the twin thorns grow mainly on the "epicormic shoots". These are the shoots that grow from the base or trunk of the tree from an epicormic bud below the surface of the bark. The normal branches do not seem to have many thorns at all.

Olive flower inflorescence

2011-04-18T16:04:00.000+02:00

The Olive tree´s flower structure (inflorescence) is an interesting example that illustrates the striking similarity between the branch structure and the inflorescence structure. Just like the arrangement of the leaves on the branch the flower structure is a branched "raceme" panicle that is both opposite an decusatte. There is one central peduncle (main supporting stalk of the inflorescenc) from which secondary peduncles branch out in opposite (two from each bract in opposing directions) and decusatte (each set of opposite secondary stalks are offset 90 degrees the the ones before and after on the main peduncle. Furthermore some of these secondary stalks are also branched opposite and decusatte with the pedicels (stalk of the flower itself). If this all sounds a bit confusing then just observe the images in this post and you will be able to see the similarity between the branch structure (bottom picture) and the flower structure.

Olive branch leaf arrangement

2011-04-15T00:04:00.000+02:00

The Olive tree (species name: Olea europaea) has a leaf arrangement that is a good example of the "Opposite & Decusatte" arrangement. The "opposite" part refers to the leaves arranged in pairs that grow out of the opposite sides of the stem. The "decussate" part means that the leaves are arranged on a stem in opposite pairs at right angles to those above or below. The images below give a pretty good perspective on what this looks like. In the case of the Olive tree the leaves themselves have a narrow lanceolate shape with a short petiole. These pictures also show the new inflorescence forming right above the petiole on the new branch growth.

Cercis siliquastrum var Alba

2011-04-09T00:05:00.000+02:00

The Cercis siliquastrum var alba is a cultivar of the European redbud tree species that has white flowers instead of the normal deep pink colored blossoms. Other than the color of the inflorescence there is not much difference to set this variety apart from the Cercis siliquastrum.

These images were taken in early April.

White mulberry spring flowers

2011-04-06T23:59:00.001+02:00

The male flower of the White mulberry (Morus alba) is catkin like spike inflorescence. The flowers appear in mid spring from late March to mid-May (depending on your latitude).

As can be seen from the image below the male flowers appear on the tree before the new leaves.

below - new leaves on the male tree (male and female are separate trees)

The images above and below are of the flowers of the female White mulberry tree. The female flowers are shorter than their male counterparts.

Western hemlock tree

2011-04-06T00:26:00.000+02:00

The Western hemlock tree featured in this post is from the Finch arboretum in Spokane Washington. The Western hemlock is one of the more common evergreen tree species in the Pacific Northwest. One way to tell this tree from other tree species in an evergreen forest is by observing the top of the tree. The Western hemlock, unlike other conifers, has a rather floppy top.

The seed cones of the Western hemlock are rather small, measuring only about 2cm ( a little less than an inch) across.

The leaves are needle-like although somewhat flat.

The image below gives a pretty good idea of the branch structure of the Western hemlock.

Spring Flowers

2011-04-03T23:32:00.000+02:00

15 Most Invasive Trees in the World

2011-03-30T11:40:00.000+02:00

The Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG) has recently published a report on the world´s worst 100 invasive species. Of the 100 species listed there are 15 tree species.

African tulip tree (Spathodea campanulata)
Black wattle (Acacia mearnsii) close cousin in to the Silver wattle (A. dealbata)
Brazilian pepper tree (Schinus terebinthifolius)
Cluster pine (Pinus pinaster)
Erect prickly pear (Opuntia stricta)
Fire tree (Myrica faya)
leucaena (Leucaena leucocephala)
melaleuca (Melaleuca quinquenervia)
mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa)
Giant Sensitive tree (Mimosa pigra)
privet (Ligustrum robustum)
pumpwood (Cecropia peltata)
Quinine tree (Cinchona pubescens)
Shuebutton ardisia (Ardisia elliptica)
Strawberry guava (Psidium cattleianum)
tamarisk (Tamarix ramosissima)

Source...
http://www.issg.org/publications.htm#worst100

100 of the World's Worst Invasive Alien Species
Lowe S. J., M. Browne and S. Boudjelas (2000)
Published by the IUCN/SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG),
Auckland, New Zealand.

Some images of the these trees (or their close cousins)

(African tulip tree)

(Wattle)

(Brazilian pepper tree)

(Prickly Pear)

(leucaena)

(Tamarisk)

Types of Inflorescence

2011-03-28T14:31:00.000+02:00

An "inflorescence" is a cluster of flowers arranged on a branched stem structure. There are a number of distinct types of inflorescence. I´ve included ten basic ones here although there are additional ones that are variants of some of the ones shown in the image below. The types of inflorescence that I have included in the graphic are

Solitary
Spike
Spadix
Raceme
Cyme
Umbel
Compound umbel
Corymb
Panicle
Capitulum

I do not know for sure whether or not all of these diverse flower forms are found on trees. Given the many species of trees in the world I think that it is likely. some of these forms however may be much more common in smaller plants.

Sweet Chestnut tree in full bloom

2011-03-24T17:46:00.000+01:00

I came across this beautiful Sweet chestnut tree in full flower in Portland. This is the tree species that edible chestnuts come from and one good way to tell this tree apart from the non edible Horse Chestnut is by its flowers.

Images of edible sweet chestnuts

2010-11-10T18:50:00.000+01:00

These images are of edible sweet chestnuts from the Castanea sativa tree species. To compare these with non-edible chestnut follow this link.

Walk though a Chestnut grove in November

2010-11-06T23:35:00.000+01:00

In went for a walk today with some friends though a Sweet Chestnut grove about an hours drive west of Madrid, Spain.

Most of these images speak for themselves. The image above stood out to me as the eight tree trunks were all growing out of the cut stump of one old Chestnut tree.

This man in this picture was raking the leaves into piles and then burning them. An occasional sweet chestnut would end up in the fire which would send out a muted popping sound every 10 to 15 seconds.

This family was busy collecting the sweet chestnuts, filling large sacks and getting them ready to go into town to sell.

This just stood out to me as a pleasant country fall scene.

Hope you enjoyed the pictures as much as I enjoyed taking them!

New Christmas Tree Scroll Ornaments from Papuan Lass

2010-10-04T09:52:00.000+02:00

Christmas ornament scrolls of Greek and Hebrew Scripture portions relating the Biblical Christmas story.

Vintage Christmas carols printed on fine parchment paper, shaped it and burned the edges. The entire ornament is sprayed with clear acrylic sealer to preserve the ornament.

Gift certificates

Non-edible Chestnuts

2010-09-30T00:18:00.000+02:00

This is the time of year that I get a lot of comments on my post "Edible chestnuts vs. Horse chestnuts" with all kinds of stories people who have tried to eat Horse Chestnuts thinking that they were edible chestnuts. The images here are of the NON-EDIBLE Horse Chestnuts.

Prickly Pear or Barbary Fig - a tree like cactus

2010-09-11T14:10:00.000+02:00

The Prickly Pear or Barbary Fig is a tree like cactus that is widely grown for its edible "tuna" fruits in semi-arid regions around the world. The images in this post come from central Spain in the Extremadura region.

The tasty yet somewhat seedy fruits of this tree-cactus are a bit of a challenge to pick since both the leaves and fruits are covered with both pointy, thorny spikes and small, fine prickly "hairs". If you don´t what to get a hand full of these bothersome barbs you had better come prepared. A thick set of gloves with wrist protectors is one way to go about picking them. Then comes the challenge of riding the fruit of their thorns and hairs. One way to go about it is to place several dozen in a gunny sack, get them wet and then agitate the sack for 5-10 minutes. This can be done by hanging the sack from a branch or bean and then rocking the sack back and forth with your hand. In this way the fruits end of cleaning each others prickles off.

To eat the fruit one has to first peel back the skin. One way that I like to do this is to slice off both ends, make a cut down one side and then peel the rest off starting from the cut and removing the rest of the peel in one piece leaving the tasty interior ready to be eaten as is.

First Fruits of the Fig Tree - Breva crop

2010-09-06T23:33:00.001+02:00

The Common Fig (Ficus Carica) tree produces two crops of figs each year. The first crop, which grows on the previous years shoot growth is called the "breva" crop (from the Spanish term) or the "First Fruits" crop. In Italian these first figs are called "Fioroni". These first fruits of the fig tree are larger than the normal figs and often present with a different color. They are also less sweet and a bit dryer. They are however prized for their size which can approach that of a medium sized pear. "Brevas" are usually harvested between June and July while the main crop is harvested in August and September. The main crop of figs grows in the current years shoot growth.

It is not uncommon to see the main crop of figs growing while the Breva figs are ripe for harvest. In the top image of this post you can see how the Breva fig is growing from the previous years branch growth and the newer main crop is growing on the new branch shoot.

Anne Frank´s Horse Chestnut tree blown down in storm

2010-08-23T21:37:00.000+02:00

The famous Horse Chestnut tree that Anne Frank described in her dairy while she and her family were hiding from the Nazis during the second world war has been knocked over in a storm. The tree in Amsterdam has been called "Anne Frank´s tree". The tree was about 150 years old and had survived pests, disease and many previous storms. The image above gives a pretty clear idea of how badly damaged the tree is.

Caracus wigandia: Wigandia caracasana

2010-06-16T20:20:00.000+02:00

The Caracus wigandia is a small tree or large ornamental plant with large leaves and purple-blue flowers. Other than the fact that this tree is native to Venezuela (from the sign - see below) I don´t know anything about it. This tree is in the Southern Spanish town of Mijas not too far from the Bull ring. Enjoy the pictures!

When to harvest bay leaves

2010-04-20T23:30:00.000+02:00

The Bay leaf tree is also called the Bay laurel or Sweet bay leaf (Laurus nobilis) is a Mediterranean tree whose leaves are used as a herb in cooking.

So, the question arises...when should Bay leaves be harvested for best flavor?

There are differences of opinion on the response to this question but in general Bay leaves can be harvested year round (as an evergreen tree it has leaves 12 months of the year). The flavor that the leaves can produce however grows gradually more intense with time as the leaf matures until they begin to dry up prior to falling off the tree.

There are some that hold that Bay leaves have a more intense fragrance just before the tree flowers. I´m not aware of there being any relationship between the leaf fragrance and the flowering period of the tree.

The leaves are best used in cooking after having been properly dried for at least a few days. One way to dry the leaves is to hang a branch upside down in a dry location for a week or so. The leaves can then by removed from the branch and placed in a container or can be left hanging until needed. The flavor of the leaves left out in the open will gradually fade over time.

Another key fact in the use of Bay leaves is that although they give a nice flavor to a dish the leaf itself is not eaten. This is why the leaves are often left whole...it is easier to remove them. A crushed leaf will give more taste but is very difficult to remove.

Bushman´s poison - Acokanthera oblongifolia

2010-04-19T23:36:00.000+02:00

The "Bushman´s poison" or "Wintersweet" as it is also known is a shrub or small tree native to Southern Africa. It is the source of a poison that is used on bushmen´s arrow tips and is highly toxic to both animals and humans. The fruits of this dangerous plant contain estrofantina-G and can be fatal is ingested (especially when they are green). When I first saw this bush I thought that it might be some sort of olive by the looks of the fruits.

Greek Strawberry tree - Arbutus andrachne

2010-04-17T22:49:00.000+02:00

The Greek Strawberry tree (species name: Arbutus andrachne) is a small tree in the Arbutus genus that is native to Greece. This tree is known to hybridize naturally with the Strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo) which results in the hybrid Strawberry tree Arbutus x andrachnoides. Like the Strawberry tree the fruits of this tree (shrub) species are edible.

bee pollinating cluster of flowers

small tree

bark

Leaves

Spanish Olive Oil

2010-04-16T23:05:00.002+02:00

Spain is the world´s top producer and exporter of Olive Oil with about 45% of the global market. This comes to about 1,400 Metric tonnes of Olive Oil per year, a figure that has increased quite a bit in the last ten years. Among the countries that Spain exports to is Italy which is a bit strange considering that it is also an Olive Oil producing and exporting country. The reason, I believe, is that Italy does not produce enough to meet its exportation demand and has to import Spanish Olive Oil which is then packaged in Italy and exported. Italy produces about half the quantity of Olive Oil as Spain but in many areas of the United States at least is more well known.

"Interprofesional del aceite de oliva" is a non-profit org. that is focused on promoting the use of Spanish olive oil.

The following is a list of Spanish Olive oil varieties, where they are grown and their characteristics..

ARBEQUINA - originally from Arbeca, Lérida but now is grown in Cataluña, Zaragoza, Teruel and Huesca. This variety makes a high quality grade of oil.
CORNICABRA - grown in Castilla. This variety is very resistant to cold weather and to droughts. Its oil is known for a fruity, aromatic flavor and low bitterness.
FARGA - grown in Tarragona, Valencia, Castellón and Teruel. This variety is known for high level of oil production, a good quality oil although with a difficult extraction.
MORRUT - grown in Tarragona and Castellón. This variety is not very high quality and is not known for regular or high levels of oil production.
PICUAL - grown in the province of Jaén, this is the most important variety of Olive in Spain. It accounts for about 50% of all Olive trees in Spain. Known for high level of oil production with a good quality product.
PICUDO - grown in Cordoba, Jaén, Granada and Málaga. This variety is emblematic of Cordoba. Its production is varied from year to year but tends to have a high productivity. It is prized for its unique characteristics.
VERDIAL DE BADAJOZ - grown in Badajoz, Extremadura. A medium production level that is variable from year to year. The oil is quite fruity with a fairly strong bitter taste.
CORNEZUELO - grown in the middle of the Iberian peninsula, most notably in the region of Toledo. Constant level of production but not too high. Known as quality, light oil. This variety is also used to produce table olives.
HOJIBLANCA - grown in the Andalucian provinces of Sevilla, Córdoba and Málaga. Accounts for 16% of the Olive trees in Andalucia. The olives of this variety weigh from 1.5-4 grams and have about 22% production rate. This variety is also used to produce table olives.
NEGRAL - grown in Aragón, Navarra and Jaén. Along the banks of the Ebro river this olive variety occupies 50% of the fertile land. Has a high level of production of high quality oil. This variety is also used to produce table olives.

Caucasian Zelkova - Zelkova carpinifolia

2010-04-09T23:43:00.001+02:00

The Caucasian Zelkova (species name: Zelcova carpinifolia) is a fairly large deciduous tree native to the Caucasus region of southeastern Europe. The Zelcove genus is a family of six tree species in the Elm family. The tree featured in this post is located in the Madrid botanical garden.

The Caucasian zelkova has a unique shape that consists of multiple branches branching off near the base and that are almost vertical and grow very close together. The images above shows how these branches give the tree an almost bottle shape.

Leaves

Trunk base with fairly smooth gray bark

Another view of the way the main branches grow almost vertical

Processionary moth pine tree pest - Thaumetopoea pityocampa

2010-04-03T01:03:00.000+02:00

The Precessionary moth (Thaumetopoea pityocampa) is a little bug but a rather major pest to pine forests in southern Europe. This little critter builds nests (called "tents") in pine trees. When the larvae are ready that march out of the "tents" in single file to feed on the pine needles. If there are several tents in a single tree the caterpillars can literally eat very last green needle right off the tree (see images below). They are called Processionary due to their single file "procession" that can often be found along the ground under the trees. One curious thing about these processions is that if you injure any of the caterpillars in the line they will instantly all disconnect and go in different directions as if in a panic. They do this even if you only pick on the very last on in the line and out of sight of those at the front of the line. If you give them a few minutes however they will get in a new line again. Whatever you do don´t touch these with your hands as they can cause irritation to the skin.

A "tent" ready for the caterpillars to march out (below). Sometimes these get so heavy that they fall out of the trees.

The image below is of an emptied tent where they have already gone out and cleaned the green needles of f of the branches.

The image below is of a newly built tent nest.

The next image shows a young pine tree that has been totally cleaned of all green needles. This can kill the tree but most often just stunts the growth severally.

Here is a close up of how the branches look after the critters have eaten their full.

This is a picture of hope. A new growth the next year after a tree has been affected.

Some forests are so afflicted by the Thaumetopoea pityocampa moth that they whole forest looses its green color and turns a grew-brown color.

Cherry plum - Prunus cerasifera

2010-04-01T16:29:00.000+02:00

The Cherry plum tree (species name: Prunus cerasifera) is a small tree in the plum family native to Europe and Asia. It is also planted outside of its native range as an ornamental tree that is prized for its brightly colored blossoms in spring and its purple-reddish leaves. The fruit is a 2-3cm drupe that it edible.

The size and color of the "cherry plums" makes them easily confusable with cherries (thus the name). The dark leaf color is a very good clue however to indicate that it is not a cherry tree. A close examination of the drupe will also set it apart from the shape of a cherry.

The Cherry plum is one of those trees that is highly ornamental in both its spring flowering period and its spring to fall period.

I happened across one of these in bloom recently and observed several Monk parakeets feasting on the flower bulbs. (Image below)

The leaves of the Cherry plum are alternate on the branch. They have a simple ovate shape and a crenate margin (rounded teeth). One of the distinctive´s of this tree species is the color of its leaves that range from a dark purple-green to a purple-red color.

The image below shows the bark on both young (lower) and mature (upper) trees.

Bay Laurel - Laurus nobilis L.

2010-03-31T18:23:00.000+02:00

The Bay laurel tree (species name: Laurus nobilis L.) is the tree that "Bay leaves" (used to give flavor to cooking dishes) come from. It also goes by the common names "Sweet bay", "True laurel", "Laurel" as well as a few more that I am not aware of. In this post I have tried to capture the beauty of the Bay laurel´s flowers as well as the general appearance of the tree and its leaves. The image below is of the newly opening flowers.

The Bay laurel is one of those trees that has a tendency to become a small dense thicket. This is due to the fact that it tends to send up multiple stems right from the base. The trees below are continually cut back but you can still see the active growth of new stems at the base.

The leaves of the Bay laurel occur alternately on the branch and have a simple to Lanceolate shape with a smooth (entire) margin. One way to identify a Bay laurel is by rubbing the leaf and smelling the sweet aromatic tone that is characteristic of the leaves and the flavor that it gives to cooking.

The flowers of the Bay laurel and a pale yellow color although they tend to fade and brown fairly quickly.

The flowers occur towards the end of the terminal branches interspersed between the last dozen leaves or so.

The following is an old (out of copyright) illustration of the main characteristics of the Bay laurel.

Pollarding of European Ash trees in Spain

2010-03-29T23:42:00.000+02:00

The European ash tree (species: Fraxinus excelsior) is commonly used in Spain as a source of firewood using the technique called "pollarding". Using this method the land owners are able to harvest decent firewood from their trees without killing them. The methods consists in cutting all the branches off at about 8-10 feet off the ground every few years. This rather severe pruning back of the tree causes it to maintain a partial juvenile state and as a result these "pollards" tend to live longer than trees of the same species that are not pollarded. It also causes the trees to grow thicker at the trunk given them a sort of swollen look. The pollarding does not kill these trees however and a new set of branches grows back to replace the ones that have been cut off. The new branches tend to be fairly long and straight which makes them useful for poles or fence posts. Since they branch off fairly close to the base it makes harvesting the next set of branches all the easier.

A similar practice to pollarding is called "coppicing" where the trees are cut off right at the base. This is used with trees that grow back easily from the stump or roots in the form of new shoots. Coppiced trees tend to have multiple trunks while pollarded trees will normally have just one thick trunk.

Custard Apple "Cherimoya" (Annona cherimola)

2010-03-19T23:20:00.006+01:00

The Cherimoya or Custard-apple (species: Annona cherimola) is an edible fruit tree native to the Andes mountain region of South America. It is now widely planted as a fruit tree. The images in this post are from the south of Spain near the city of Málaga.

The leaves of this spreading tree are about 3-5 inches long with a simple ovate shape, pinnate venation and entire margins. They are also a bit warped.

The fruit of the Cherimoya is irregular and "heart" shaped in its own unique way. The ripe fruits are green with a smooth skin and a distinct pattern (see image below).

The flesh is a creamy color and quite soft and smooshy when ripe making it easy to eat with a spoon.
The seeds are roughly almond shaped and black. They are fairly easy to spit out when you get one or several in your spoonful of the soft sweet flesh.

The bark on younger trees is smooth but rough and cracked on older trees like the one below.

Chinese rain tree - Koelreuteria elegans

2010-03-14T22:55:00.004+01:00

The Chinese rain tree (species name: Koelreuteria elegans) is a cousin of the Goldenrain tree. These two tree species have very similar and distinctive looking seed pods as seen in the image above.
The leaves of the Chinese rain tree are even-pinnate with individual leaflets having a lanceolate to acuminate shape with a serrate margin and a pinnate venation.
This native Taiwanese tree, like its cousin, it used as an ornamental street tree in the warmer sub-tropical zones of the world. This particular tree is in the botanical garden of the University of Malaga in southern Spain.

The seed pods are in clusters at the terminal tips of the branches as seen above.

How many species of Olive trees are there?

2010-03-10T14:28:00.006+01:00

Have you ever wondered how many species of Olive trees there are in the world? It is a natural question to ask given the wide variety of Olives that can be purchased at the grocery store. Well, the answer is ONE. There is just one species of Olive tree "Olea Europaea".

One common assumption is that black olives grow on one species of Olive tree and green olives grow on another species of Olive tree. This, however, is a misunderstanding of the difference between black and green olives. The difference in color is a result of when they are harvested and in fact all olives will eventually turn a dark red/purple or almost black color if left to full ripen on the tree. Green olives are harvested once they have reached their maximum size but before they begin to turn dark purple. The best time to harvest is when the color begins to turn from a green color to a lighter green almost yellow color. Black olives are harvested after they have ripened when not only the outer skin is a dark color but also the fleshy "meat" layer between the skin and the pit but before the the olive looses its consistency and begins to shrivel.

Some varieties of olive trees can produce both good green or black olives depending on when the olives are harvested. It is more common however that any given variety produce either good black olives or good green olives. Also some olive tree varieties produce olives that are not suitable for either green or black "table" olives and are used only for the production of Olive Oil.

It is also important to know that neither green or black olives can be eaten when picked right off the tree. Both need to undergo some sort of treatment before they can be consumed safely.

American Sweetgum - Liquidambar styraciflua

2009-12-28T21:04:00.004+01:00

The American Sweetgum tree (species: Liquidambar styraciflua) is one of my favorite Autumn color trees. The image above is from a tree in Switzerland and the tree below is from a fine example near the base of the Eiffel tower in Paris. Both of these images give an idea of the magnificent range of bright colors that this tree can show off in the fall. It is for these colors that this tree species has become a favorite as an ornamental tree for parks, gardens and avenues.

The leaf of the American Sweetgum (also known as the Redgum) is a five pointed star like leaf that is similar to those of the Sugar Maple. It has a slightly serrated margin and measures about 4-6 inches across.
The "fruits" of the American sweetgum is one of the key identifiers for this tree species. They are small spiky balls that measure about an inch in diameter. They are bright green until they turn black after maturing and releasing their seed capsules. There are many names given to these curious little fruits including "space bugs".

The leaves have rather long stems that grow out of the ends of new branchlets as seen below.

The next image is a bit out of focus but serves to give an idea of the bark pattern of a young tree.

Which is the Maple Leaf?

2009-11-08T17:21:00.004+01:00

Of the two leaves below can you tell which one is the Maple leaf? Only one of them is a maple .... can you guess what tree species the other leaf is from?

These two leaves where taken from two trees in a city park in Spokane Washington that stand side by side. The leaf on the left is a Norway Maple (Acer platanoides) leaf (I put the winged seed in the picture as a hint). The leaf on the right is from a London Plane. As you can see the leaves of these two trees are very similar and quite easy to confuse. Let me give two easy ways to tell these trees apart.

1. You can tell them apart by the structure that holds their seeds. In the case of the Norway Maple the seeds are held in a winged "samara" (seen in the image above by the left leaf). In the case of the London Plane the seeds are located in a ping-pong sized ball (see image below).

2. You can tell them apart by their bark which is very different from each other. The first image below is of the Norway maple bark.

The next image is of the Londan Plane bark on a mature tree that shows the characteristic lumpiness and bulging. The bark peels off in small sheets, which is one of the reasons it does so well in high pollution cities.

Old Grove of Large Leaved Linden (or Lime)

2009-11-06T19:55:00.004+01:00

Near the Spanish town of El Escorial and located close the popular attraction called the "Seat of Philip the Second" is an interesting old grove of Large leaved lindens or as they are popularly called in Great Britain "Large leaved limes". This native European tree is a common sight in parks and gardens and has been widely introduced into the United States as an ornamental. This particular old grove of Lindens was quite enchanting, partly due to the shape of the older trees as a result of "pollarding". This is when the branches are cut off every year or every few years providing for firewood but not killing the tree.

You can see in the image above how there are fairly small branches growing up out of a very old and hollowed out trunk. Pollarding often makes the trunks of the tree a good deal more stout than it would have grown if it had been left to form its natural shape.

The image below is of a nearby tree that has never been pollarded and as a result has a much taller and even straight trunk. The bark detail is also visible in this image.

The leaves of the Large leaved linden are simple and somewhat heart shaped. They can measure from 3-6 inches across.

These images were taken near the "Finca El Castañar" (something like "Chestnut grove ranch) which is a bit strange given that the grove is mainly old Lindens. On one side though there are some very old sweet Chestnut trees as well.

Christmas Tree Ornaments Idea - Nativity Scrolls

2009-09-29T17:09:00.008+02:00

I know it may be a bit early to be thinking about Christmas tree ornaments for this years tree but just in case you are looking for something new and interesting to hang on your tree this year I´ve come across an interesting ornament idea that might interest you. They are called Nativity Scrolls. Each scroll has a special text written in both Hebrew and in English with an elegant calligraphy.

"These scrolls are inspired by the event of Christ's birth and the numerous prophecies in the Bible, foretelling hundreds of years beforehand, who the Messiah would be and how he would come into this world." - quote from Papuan Lass´s Etsy shop.

Spruce Pineapple or Pseudocone galls

2009-09-20T17:35:00.003+02:00

"Pineapple" or "Pseudocone" galls occur on several species of Spruce trees including; Norway, Sitka, Englemann and Colorado blue. They are a chemically induced growth distortion caused by a small aphid like insect called a "Pineapple gall adelgid" that lays up to one hundred eggs, one of each of up to 100 Spruce needles at the tip of the new growth. When the new aphids hatch they begin to suck on the soft new growth needles which in turn provokes the gall like growth reaction as the needles begin to swell and end up morphing into each other.

At first glance these pineapple shaped galls can be easily mistaken for cones (thus the name "pseudocone"). The image above shows a newly formed gall beside a seed cone on an Englemann Spruce tree.
The inside of the gall is rather fibrous and "woody" with small pockets. Spraying the galls to get rid of the insects is to no avail as the aphids are usually well protected inside the gall structure.
The pineapple galls end up drying out and dying leaving a dark brown carcas behind that does not do any real harm to the tree but can stunt growth to the branchet it has grown on. In some instances the branchlet will keep growing past the gall while in others the gall halts the growth all together for that branchlet.

Harry Potter Tree look alike

2009-09-18T19:45:00.002+02:00

Do you remember the tree in one of the Harry Potter films that was alive and had these long, wicked looking arms that swung around and almost did Harry in?

Well, I recently came across a tree near Segovia, Spain that reminded me of the Harry Potter tree. It´s not quite a big or as old but the "arms" and gnarly clumps at the end of the arms look just like the ones I remember in the film.

What do you think?

Pacific yew - Taxus brevifolia

2009-09-04T02:27:00.006+02:00

The Pacific yew tree (species: Taxus brevifolia) is common in the forests of the Northwestern United States. It also goes by the common names of "Western yew" or "Oregen yew". The images in this post come from trees that I found in northern Idaho Western red cedar forests. This tree species is somewhat unique in that it is an evergreen with a berry like seed cone. These are called "arils" and are about 8-12 mm in diameter. They have a round shape but have an opening on the bottom side (see image below)

The berry like seed containers mature to a red color and contain a single seed. The seeds are dispersed by birds who eat the aril and then deposit the seed in their excrement. The leaves of the Pacific yew tree are flat and needle-like similar to some fir trees. The leaflets are about 2-3 cm in length and have point on the ends. The leaves are also arranged horizontally on the branches.
One of the distinctive features of the Pacific yew is that neither its main trunk or branches are straight but rather tend to be somewhat curvy and irregular. In western forests these trees grow in the shade of much larger trees are also most likely impacted by deep snows in the winter.
The bark of the Pacific yew tree is light brown in color and exhibits a flaky texture that peels off in thin strips. The main trunks on these trees were about 8 inches in diameter.

The Pacific yew tree is one of the tree species used in the making of wood archery bows.

This tree is a relative of the European Yew.

Perkins Cedar Grove at Morris Creek

2009-08-22T17:04:00.007+02:00

There is a magnificent grove of Western Red Cedar trees located near the Idaho town of Elk River and about eight miles from the "Giant Cedar" that I mentioned in my last post. As the sign below explains this grove is a "'climax community" where one tree species has come to dominate a local habitat. In this case it is the Western Red Cedars that have come out as the dominant species. There are several other small tree species that peacefully coexist with the cedars though. These are the Pacific yew and the Sitka alder.
To locate this Cedar grove go to the town of Elk River and visit the Elk River Lodge where they will gladly give you a small map with instructions on how to find the Giant Cedar and the Morris Creek grove.
One of the exciting things about this particular Cedar grove is that there is no evidence of it ever having been logged. Logged Western Red Cedar stumps can last for a very long time but in this location the only stumps I found were from trees that had broken off in storms. I also found some evidence of fire but the great trees seemed to have survived just fine.
The largest trees in the grove appear to be about 8 feet across at breast height. We saw at least a dozen of these as well as many more that were 5-7 feet in diameter.

Giant Cedar near Elk River Idaho

2009-08-20T21:02:00.004+02:00

Near the small town of Elk River, Idaho is the largest tree in North America east of the Cascade -Sierra Crest. The tree is a Western Red Cedar that is 18 feet in diameter at breast hight and 177 feet tall. The sign near the tree identifies it as the "Giant Cedar" but I have also seen it called the "King Cedar". This tree is estimated to be about 3000 years old.
Part of the reason for this trees great size is the fact that it has a small stream that literally flows right under it. The ground around the tree is rather boggy which is probably why a deck like platform has been built leading up to and around the tree. The platform is several feet off the ground. One of the interesting things about this tree is that it has wheelchair access. The trail from the parking area is paved right up to where the platform starts.
The trail that leads to the Giant Cedar takes you by a number of other very large Western Red Cedar trees that from a small grove of surviving giants. There are a good dozen trees that range in girth from 4 to 8 feet. Laying right next to the Giant Cedar is a large nurse log of a tree that must have been similar in size to the Giant. There is a small new cedar tree growing right up out of the side of the nurse log.
Looking up into the branches of th Giant Cedar is an interesting view as can be seen in the image below. There are a lot of dead branches on the tree but it is still very much alive.
The image below help to show the immense size of this tree at its base. Remember that the platform is about 2 feet off the ground.
This tree is a bit difficult to find. We were aided by the kind folks at the Elk River Lodge in Elk River who gave us a small map with instructions on how to find the tree. The distance from Elk River to the Giant Cedar is about 10-11 miles on a well kept forest service road. There is also some great camping sites along the road that takes you up to the King Cedar.

Also nearby is the Perkins Cedar Grove at Morris Creek.

Check out the BIG STUMP of another giant Cedar tree of years gone by.

Large Black Walnut near Niagara Falls

2009-08-07T08:51:00.003+02:00

The large tree in this post is a Black Walnut near Niagara Falls on the Canadian side. I was so impressed by both the size and shape of this tree that I could not resist a special blog post just to highlight its beauty.

Like many of the trees along the Canadian side of Niagara Falls this tree is large and impressive. The fact that it stands alone where its whole shape can be easily seen and that it is seen daily by many thousands of people make this tree all the more interesting. The image above is of the view looking up into the crown from the base of the tree.

I'm sure that many a weary tourist has sat in the shade of this gentle giant over the years!

The Pesky Tree of Heaven - Ailanthus altissima

2009-08-03T07:34:00.003+02:00

Despite its "heavenly" name the Tree-of-Heaven (Ailanthus altissima) is in my opinion the most pesky invasive tree species in the United States and Southern Europe. I have personally observed this tree species as a very prolific seeder in Spain, France, England, Canada (Toronto) and the States of Oregon and Washington. According to this website it is invasive in at least 30 of the 50 States. In this post I have tried to document in images just one instance of how this tree can spread. All the images are from the same yard in Eastern Washington. In the top image you can see the "mother" tree that is responsible for "seeding" the yard with new little Trees-of-heaven.
I did not stop to count them but there must have been at least 40 of the fast growing seedlings. In the image above you can see them growing all along the side of the house. This is a fast growing tree species that can form trunks up to three feet in diameter. Letting them grow this close to the house is NOT a good idea.
This next image shows more seedlings growing along the cyclone fence. I've seen these grow up to 2-3 feet tall in just one year! The image below shows a few more growing out by the garage unchecked. The owner of this house seems unaware that this tree species is capable of growing into dense thickets and can have an adverse affect on other plant species.
I mentioned in my last post that the Tree-of-Heaven can be confused with the Black Walnut. The leaves of both are quite similar but the flowers and fruit is easily identifiable.

Eastern Black Walnut - Juglans nigra

2009-07-25T19:52:00.004+02:00

The Eastern Black Walnut (species: Juglans nigra) is a tree in the Hickory family that is prized for its high value wood. It is a close relative of the "English Walnut" (also called the Persian Walnut) which is the primary Walnut species for edible Walnuts. It is native to much of central and eastern North America and has been introduced into Europe for several centuries.

The leaves of the Black Walnut are alternate and odd-pinnate with the individual leaflets being more slender and pointy than those of the English Walnut. By its leaves the Black Walnut can be easily confused with the "tree of heaven" or the "staghorn shumack".

The fruits of the Black walnut are edible but have smaller meats and are harder to harvest than those of the English walnut. Black walnut fruits are harvested mostly from wild trees.

One curious fact about the Black walnut is that its leaves, drupes and roots produce a substance called juglone that is a natural dye. At certain times of the year the leaves of the tree are coated with a glossy layer of this substance which can also have adverse affects on other plants such as tomatoes.

On mature trees the walnut fruits are a dead give away as to its tree family. In cities where the Black Walnut and the Tree of Heaven grow in close proximity there are times when the young trees may be hard to tell apart. If the small tree you are trying to identify has appeared in your hedge, fence line or along the side of your house and is rather fast growing there is a very good chance that it is the Chinese "Tree of Heaven" tree which in my opinion is one of the most invasive trees in the United States and Europe. If you live within a block or two of one watch out for volunteers!
One way to tell a Black Walnut apart from the tree of heaven is by its bark. The Black walnut's bark is dark brown and deeply furrowed. The Tree of Heaven's bark on the other hand is brownish gray and smoothish with a bit of a rough texture. It is never furrowed like the Black Walnut's.

Brazilian Orchid tree - Bauhinia forficata

2009-06-21T17:29:00.003+02:00

Of the three different "Bauhinia" tree species that I´ve seen growing in Southern Spain the Brazilian Orchid tree (Bauhinia forficata) is the one I have seen the least. It is far less common than its cousin the "Hong Kong Orchid tree" that is found in many cities and towns on the Southern Spanish coast. Another Bauhinia that is not very common is the Purple Orchid tree.

The leaves of this tree species have a sort of camel´s foot shape as can be appreciated in the image above. Also of note are the small thorns on the smaller branches and stems. The flowers of the Brazilian orchid tree are similar to those of the Hong Kong orchid tree except that the petals are thinner and longer making this tree´s flowers a bit less attractive than those of its cousins.

The seeds of this tree species grow in a long green-been type legum seed pod that measures about 9-11 inches in length.

From my observations the best way to tell this "orchid tree" apart from other´s of the same genus is by its slightly smaller leaves and by its flower.

Japanese Cheesewood - pittosporum tobira

2009-06-19T18:08:00.005+02:00

The Japanese Cheesewood tree (species: Pittosporum tobira) is an interesting ornamental tree that is native to Japan but cultivated in other parts of the world in warmer climates. In the US this tree species can be found in California as well as Florida and Georgia. It grows as a small tree or large shrub. Max height is about 20 feet.

Other names that I´ve seen for this tree species are "Japanese mockorange", "Japanese pittosporum" or "Mock Orange". Its tendency to have multiple thick stems that have a sort of twisted, irregular form give this tree a sort of giant bonsai look. It is a great addition to any ornamental garden.

The flowers are small and white and similar in shape to those of the Orange tree. Purhaps for this reason it is sometimes called the "mock orange".

The fruits are small marble shaped seed pods that have a pointy tip on the ends. They grow is small clusters at the terminal ends of the brances often surrounded by a rosetta effect of the stiff, dark green leaves.

The lower parts of the mature branches are usually bare of leaves and smaller brances adding to the ornamental effect. I´m not sure if this is due more to carefull pruning or if this tree species just grows this way naturally. All the specimens I´ve seen have been in gardens so it is hard to tell what the tree might look like in the wild.

The images from the post come from both Málaga and Madrid. The sign below is from a fairly large Japanese cheesewood tree in the Madrid botanical gardens.

Goldenrain tree - Koelreuteria paniculata

2009-06-18T12:13:00.004+02:00

The Goldenrain tree or "Pride of India" (tree species: Koelreuteria paniculata) is an ornamental tree species from Asia that has been widely planted in Spanish cities such as Madrid, Barcelona or Málaga. The name "Goldenrain" refers to this tree species bright yellow flowers that cover the tree with a golden colour in late spring.

The flowers occur in flowers in large terminal panicles that are as large as 30cm. The image at the top of this post will give you a pretty good idea of wha the flowers look like up close.

The leaves of the Goldenrain tree are pinnate with individual leaflets that are quite serrated and irregular.

One of the most distinctive features of this tree species is its seed pods that are bladder like with paper thin skin than conceal several small ball like black seeds in a completely hollow interior. These pods start out with a green or orangy-tan color. They then turn a sort of reddish colour before they mature into a grey-tan colour.

The seedpods have three sides and the seeds themselves are about 4-5 cm in diameter.

Montpellier Maple by the seat of Philip 2nd

2009-06-06T14:45:00.004+02:00

Near the town of "El Escorial" about a thirty minutes drive northwest of the Spanish capital city of Madrid is a site called "The Seat of Philip the Second". This post is about the Montpellier Maple tree located at the site. For its species it is a very large and impressive. Popular belief is that Philip II sat under this tree to oversee the construction of the massive monastery accross the valley. Judging from the tree however it seems rather unlikely that this tree could be old enough to have given shade to the Spanish king in the mid 1600´s.

The tree stands beside large granite bolders like the one below. On top of a large rock to the left of the tree is the actual "Seat of Felipe II" which is a seat carved right into the top of the rock and is accessable by a stone stairway.

About 50 yards from Philip´s seat is the "Ermita de la Virgen de Gracia" (Hermitage of the Virgin of Grace) that was built in the XVI century. This site lies within a forrest called "El bosque de La Herrería".

Below is a view of the monastery as seen through the trees from the Montpellier Maple tree.

Great Oak trees of Lizarraga near Pamplona

2009-05-28T16:57:00.004+02:00

Near the tiny little town of Lizarraga near Pamplona, Spain there is a stand of great old Oak trees the largest of which is called "the Great Oak of Lizarraga". This stand of trees belong to the "white oak" section of the genus are are called "Downy Oaks" or "Pubescent Oaks" (Quercus pubescens).
There are only about 30-40 of the very large old oaks left in this stand and the largest of them is the one in the picture above. The sign below is located right in front of the tree. One curios piece of trivia about these trees is that according to the sign the land used to belong to Saint Fransis Xavier. Another interesting detail is that these oaks stand around the site of the ruins of a midieval town by the name of "Santa Constanza".

The trunk of the great Oak at Lizarraga has a circumferance of 7.54 metes and stands 17 meters tall. It is still quite healthy and does not have a hollow trunk like many other old oaks.
The picture below shows part of the stand of old oaks as seen from the ruins of Santa Constanza.
The image below is of the little town of Lizarraga (a Basque name that means "place where the Ash trees grow" which is somewhat odd since I only saw one Ash tree but the whole hillside is covered with oaks). The trail from this little town to the stand of old oaks is pretty will marked and takes about 20-25 minutes to walk. The whole trial is a loop which takes over an hour. Lizarraga is about a 20 minute drive south of Pamplona which itself is located in northern Spain.

The Great Oaks of Jauntsarats, Navarra

2009-05-15T13:43:00.004+02:00

In the small town of Jauntsarats, Navarra there are several of the largest Oak trees of the Iberian peninsula. Navarra is an autonomous region in the north of Spain. Juantsarats is a very small town with a walking path (1.8 km) that leads visitors to various mightly, old Oak trees. The image above is of the largest Oak along the path. A sign by the tree gives it the name "Roble Kisulabe-ko Haritza". "Roble" is the Spanish word for "Oak". "Haritza" is the Basque word for Oak but I don´t know the meaning of "Kisulabe-ko" although I am pretty sure it is a Basque word as well.
This Great Oak of Jauntsarats has a trunk diameter of 3.53 meters and circumferance of 10.1 meters (at 1.5 meters off the ground). It´s crown is 12.2 metets accross and the tree is 11.6 meters tall. This aged giant is slowely dying of old age, it is likely more than 500 years old. Below is a picture of the sign showing the pathway to see the great trees.

The second largest of the great oaks is not as stout but stands considerably taller. At 1.5 meters off the ground its diameter is 2.75 meters and its circumferance is 8.7 meters. This Oak stands 29.1 meters tall. The image below does not show it but this tree has a large hollow on the other side.

Both of these large Oaks are of the Oak tree species Quercus robur which is commonly known as Pedunculate Oak.

Swearing in cerimony under the Oak of Guernica

2009-05-07T17:19:00.004+02:00

The video below is of the swearing in ceremony for the "lehendakari" (term referring to the president of Basque Country which literally means "the first one"). The second half of the video (starting at about 2:30 minutes into the video) shows a swearing in ceremony under the Oak tree of Guernica (also spelled Gernika).

The image below is of the coat of arms for the Gernika-Lumo municipality with the Oak tree front and center. There is a strong link between the governance of the Basque Country and the symbolic tree.

For many centuries local councils would meet under special trees to make regional decisions. Over time these local councils gave way to just one council that meet under the tree in Guernica. By 1512 this one tree and its council came to represent the Basque people as a whole. Obviously these oak trees do not last forever but according to tradition new trees are planted from the acorns of the tree that preceded it.

One can only imagine the horror that the Basque people must have felt when in 1937 during the Spanish Civil War the town of Guernica was bombed by the German Condor Legion in support of General Franco. The tree survived the attack but died later of a fungus. The current tree has only been growing since 1986 and was re-located to the site of the original tree in 2005.

Below is the coat of arms for the Basque province of Biscay also with the tree front and center with the shape of a cross in the background and with an oak wreath around the edge.

Oak trees and oak leaves are found on many other symbols representing the Basque people and their ancient culture.

Purple Beech - Fagus sylvatica Purpurea

2009-04-30T19:16:00.003+02:00

There is a Purple beech tree in Madrid with bright reddish-purple color. The color is especially beautiful when the sunlight shines through the tree giving the leaves an almost glowing effect. It is easy to see why this particular variant of beech has been given its name.

Beech trees are not native to central and southern Spain although they can be found in a wide swath across the north of Spain. This particular tree is located in the "Fuente del Berro" park just of the M-30 circular freeway.

Candler Oak - Live Oak (Quercus virginiana)

2009-04-29T13:19:00.006+02:00

The Candler Oak is a large old "Live Oak" (species: Quercus virginiana) located in Savannah, Georgia.

The newspaper image below is from Harper´s Weekly, January 14, 1865 when General Sherman captured Savannah. I´m not sure but I believe that the tree in the images is the Candler Oak.

The History of the Chandler Oak tree

1730 Candler Live oak starts to grow (approx. date)
1791 Georgia State Legislature grants land surrounding the mighty oak to be used for a seaman’s hospital
1803 hospital constructed and and remains in use until 1818.
1819 construction of the Savannah Poor House and Hospital on the land
1854 Hospital converted into the headquarters for the Medical College of Georgia.
1861 the hospital was used by the Confederacy during the Civil War.
1864 General Sherman captures Savannah and uses the hospital to treat his own soldiers and constructed a barricade around the tree to house wounded Confederate prisoners.
1930 site returned to service as the Warren A. Candler Hospital.
1980 Huntingdon II, Ltd. purchased the building where community health care organizations continued to operate until 2000.
1982 first preservation project of Savannah Tree Foundation initiated to save this historic tree which was under considerable stress and was not expected to survive more than another 20 years.
1984 A 6,804 square foot easement was established to protect the Candler Oak, which made history by being the first conservation easement on a single tree in the nation.
1985 asphalt was removed from the root area to revive the tree and a comprehensive schedule of maintenance.
2001 Candler Oak designated a Georgia Landmark and Historic Tree by the Georgia Urban Forest Council.
2004 Candler Oak nominated to the National Register of Historic Trees by American Forests

(information taken from http://www.savannahoffthebeatenpath.com/Tours/candler_oak.htm)

According to the sign at the site of the tree the Candler Oak is estimated to be 270 years old, have a spread of 107 feet, a circumference of 16 feet and a height of 50 feet.

New Poll about the world´s most valued tree species

2009-04-18T18:32:00.002+02:00

I have posted a new poll in the right column about the world´s most valued tree species. In this new poll I left out some of the options from the previous poll and more importantly I added two new options that should have been included in the first poll. In case anyone is interested the initial results of the previous poll had the Olive tree with a slight lead over the rest and then a close tie between four other trees; Apple, Coffee, Oak and Cedar of Lebanon.

In this new poll I have included these five tree species and then added the Sacred fig/bodhi and the Maidenhair tree (Ginkgo biloba).

I have based the selection of these seven trees on their historical popularity as well as their current popularity as illustrated by how much information there is about them on the internet. It stands to reason that the more information there is about any given tree on the internet the more highly valued it is by the general public. Take into consideration that my evaluation has been done in the English language and that in other languages there may be differences in which are the most valued trees. In fact I believe that the two tree species that I have added to this new poll are in fact much more valued in Asia then there are in other parts of the globe.

So, the seven options for this poll are...

Sacred Fig-Bodhi (Ficus religiosa)

Maidenhair (Ginkgo biloba)

Apple tree (Malus domestica)

Coffee tree (Caffea arabica)

Olive tree (Olea europaea)

Oak tree (Quercus robur)

Cedar of Lebanon (Cedrus libani)

What to you think is the most valued tree species in the world all factors included? Give us your opinion? -->

Olive tree tuberculosis

2009-04-14T15:50:00.003+02:00

Olive tree tuberculosis is a disease found on Olive trees in Spain that is caused by the bacteria Pseudomonas syringae. When this bacteria is introduced into a wound on the tree caused by hail, pruning or by the beating of the branches to harvest the Olives it results in the formation of a gall like formation that starts off round and light brown and then grows into an irregular wart shaped canker that ends up with a dark brown color and very hard.

There is no cure for Olive tree tuberculosis other than careful pruning with clean tools. Most often however the condition is not treated as it does limited harm to the tree. An infected tree can often continue producing for a number of years after becoming infected. The best prevention seems to be to use clean tools to avoid spreading the bacteria in the process of pruning and to try to avoid excessive damage to younger branches during harvest.

The dark objects in the tree below are not olives but rather cankers caused by the Pseudomonas syringae bacteria.

Red-Pea Galls on Quercus pyrenaica Oaks

2009-04-13T20:50:00.005+02:00

This is a collection of images of Red Pea Galls taken from one Quercus pyrenaica tree (In English this tree is called the Pyrenean Oak although in fact this species is not hardly found at all in the Pyrenees mountains but rather in central and southern Spain. All these images were taken on the same day and depict the galls in their stage of formation. Another name for these is Red Currant Galls. In a previous post I have blogged about the "Apple Galls" associated with the Pyrenean Oak as well.

I found these pea sized galls on a tree in the Spanish region of Extremadura in the province of Cacares near the small town of Logrosan. I was a bit puzzled at first because the galls did not look anything like the apple galls or the marble galls that I am familiar with. I knew that some galls formed on the reverse side of some Oak leaves but on these trees there were numerous galls on the tree flower. The image below is of a cluster of these galls that formed on a flower and continued to form even after the flower had released most of its polen.

Suspecting that they were galls I cut one of the larger ones open and found the larvae of what I believe is the Cynips divisa wasp inside. See image below. I also collected a few and placed them in a jar to see if I can get a look at what the wasp looks like when it emerges from the gall.

The images below are of these same galls when they form on the undersides of the leaves.

Olive branches on US seals and coins

2009-04-08T21:03:00.006+02:00

The Olive branch has long been a symbol of peace. Incorporated into the Great Seal of the United States is an eagle holding an Olive branch in its right talon. The seal was designed shortly after the United States declared its independence from England in 1776. The seal symbolizes both power and peace. The basic design of the seal has been incorporated into the seal of the President (with a few modifications), the seal of the Supreme Court, the seal of the Senate and many more.

Olive branches are also common on coins.

The lady "Liberty" is found on many coins and in some of them she is holding an Olive branch. The image above is the "Standing Liberty Quarter".

The Kennedy Half Dollar has the Seal of the President on its reverse side with the eagle holding the Olive branch.

Department of Defense seal is similar to the commemoration seal above. " Below the eagle a wreath of laurel to dexter and olive to sinister...The laurel stands for honors received in combat defending the peace represented by the olive branch" ( in Latin sinister means 'on the left side' and dexter means 'on the right side'.)

The three tree species that are very common on United States seals and coins are the Olive, the Laurel and the Oak.

Argan soap

2009-04-07T19:07:00.013+02:00

I recently came across a Argan (species: Argania spinosa) soap in a new line of products made by Yves Rocher called "Tradition de Hammam" . Included in the line of products are an Oriental massage elixir essential organic rose oil, an Oriental velvety skin scrub, a Nourishing argan balm with organic essential oil of orange blossom, a Moroccan clay mask for face and hair and the Oriental soap with Olive Oil. The basic ingredient in this new line is the oil of the Argan tree which grows naturaly only in a small area of Morocco.

According to the product catalog the secret resides in the organic Argan oil from Morocco...

"Argan oil has always been known for its amazing benefits for the skin. The fruits of the Argan tree are left to dry in the sun. The seeds are then collected and pressed to extract the oil. Even to this day this process is still done by hand by Moroccan women...the oil used in the Yves Rocher prodects is from the most recently collected fruits."

"women extracting oil from Argan seeds 191" by Julie70

One of the distictives of this "oriental soap" in comparison with others is that it uses a blend of Argan and Olive oils, both of which have similar properties when used in cosmetics.

I also found this little bit of trivia in the product catalog...

"The secret of the beauty of Moroccan women. It is known that in the Hamams the women achieve a very soft skin thanks to the oil of Argan. The secret of their velvety textured skin and the shine in their hair resides in the Moroccan clay called "ghassoul". To calm the mind, the Moroccan women apply the perfumes of essential rose oil and essential orange blossom oil (Azahar). Yves Rocher has selected these ingredients to create the fomulas for the "Tradition de Hammam line..."

(note - I´m translating from Spanish in these quotes)

The prices in this line of products seemed to be quite affordable in comparison to other Argan products that I have come across, even those sold in Morocco.

One of the most striking images that I have seen of this tree species is of goats climbing the tree to eat its fruits.

Most Valued Tree Species

2009-04-05T18:28:00.003+02:00

Submit Your Vote! ---->

What is the world´s most valued tree species?

Read my previous post about how trees are important to us and our environment.

Trees can be evaluated for their...

ornamental value (gardens, lawns, parks etc.)
environmental value (carbon cycle, nitrogen cycle, pollution, etc.)
commercial value (timber, essential oils, etc.)
nutritional value (fruit, nuts, oil etc.)
medicinal value (natural medicines, bio-chemicals, etc.)
aesthetic value (aromatherapy, peaceful beauty, etc.)
practical value (shade, wind block, noise barrier, etc.)

I´ve listed some of the most popular trees of value in the poll located in the right column.

All things considered what is the most valued tree species in the world. Vote -->

The Importance of Trees

2009-04-05T09:27:00.011+02:00

There are many ways in which trees can be valuable to us and to the environment as a whole. Here are a few of them...

Trees provide food for us to eat. There are species of trees that provide fruit, nuts, starch, Olive oil etc.
Trees provide sweets for us to eat as well. Chocolate comes from the Cocoa tree. Maple syrup is from the Sugar maple tree.
Trees are used to make juices such as Apple, Orange, Lemon etc.
Trees are used to make hot drinks. Coffee and Cocoa trees are the most well known but others such as the Linden are used for herbal teas.
Trees provide spices to flavor our food and drinks with such as Cinnamon or Cloves.
Trees are used to make fragrances. Mahogany is used as a base note in a good number of perfumes. Bay leaf or Cypress are used in the middle notes while trees such as Eucalyptus or Lemon are used in the top notes.
Trees are the source of essential oils. Sweet Orange, Cedarwood or Blue Gum are sources of important essential oils.
Trees are the source of medicines. A few medicinal trees are the Benjamin, Camphor or Rauwolfia.
Trees are used in toothpaste. Natural XYLITOL from Birch trees is used in Squigle toothpaste.
Paper is made from trees. The pulp that paper is made from comes mostly from softwood trees such as Poplar, Pine, Larch etc. With this would be included cardboard, carton, etc.
Trees are also the source of rubber. Although the Ficus Elastica is called the rubber tree most rubber is made from the sap (called Latex) of the Para Rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis).
Trees are used to make soap. Olive, Argan, Coconut, Cocoa and Brazilnut oil are all used to make hand soaps. One of the earliest trees used in the making of soap was the Cassia tree.
Trees are also used in cosmetics make things such as exfoliators, lotions or toners.
Trees are used in tattooing. Henna from Lawsonia inermis has been used for body art for thousands of years.
Trees are used in aromatherapy. The Bergamot orange (Citrus aurantium ssp. bergamia) or Lemon scented gum (Corymbia citriodora) trees are fine examples.
Trees are used to make musical instruments. One of the secrets of the violin resides in the wood it is made of. Spruce and Maple are two of the key woods.
Trees are used to make tools. Many different hardwoods such as Oak are used to make axe and spade handles.
Trees are used for firewood and cooking charcoal. The harder the wood the longer and hotter it burns. Holm oak is a great example.
Trees are used to make homes and shelters for people and animals. Wherever trees are readily available they have been used to make homes and shelters. In the northwest United States Western Redcedar or Ponderosa Pine are used as timber for construction.
Trees are used to make liquor. In Spain the acorns of Oak trees are used to make Acorn liquor.
Trees are used to make clothing. In primitive tribal societies in Papua New Guinea the bark of several tree species was pounded into a thin semi-flexible cloth and made into skits and capes. Large leaves are also used to cover certain body parts by tucking the leaves into a belt.
Baskets can be made from trees. One example is small baskets made from pine needles.
Trees are used to make furniture. Pine and Fir wood is favored by the Northern Europeans while Oak, Beech or Walnut is used in countries such as Germany and Switzerland.
Trees are an important source of shade. Some Ficus species provide an almost total blockage of the sunlight while others such as the Persian Lilac or Blue Jacaranda provide a more pleasant shade.
Trees are used to make rafts, canoes and other small boats. Birch bark was used by native Americans on their canoes. The bark was stretched over a wood frame that was sometimes made of cedar.
Trees are used in hunting. Yew trees have long been used for making hunting bows. Trees have also been used bow hunters who stand in elevated platforms to wait for their prey to pass. Young trees have also been used to make traps.
Trees are used to make fences. Apart from fence post in Europe some tree species such as Holm oak or Ash are planted long fence lines to support and form part of the fence as living fence posts.
Trees are used to as ornamental trees to beautify gardens, avenues and parks. The London plane is the arch-typical urban tree while trees such as the common cypress have been used to make tree "sculptures".
Trees are important because they clean the air we breath. Many people don´t realize that the substance that trees are mostly made of (the carbon) comes not from the ground but from the air. Trees convert CO2 into oxygen that we need to breath.
Trees stabilize hillsides and keep top soil from being washed away.
Trees scrub carbon from the air and help store it.
Trees help keep river courses from eroding into banks.
Trees provide food and shelter to many species of birds and animals.
Trees have important roles in many religious belief systems. Buddha is associated with the Sacred Fig tree.
Trees are important national, state and local symbols. The Oak of Guernica is a very important symbol for the Basque people for example.
Trees are historical landmarks.
Trees stabilize the environment.
Trees are used to make paper for books, magazines and newspapers.
Trees are used to make artifacts and carvings. Carvings of masks, figurines, animals, idols, etc are common in most native cultures.
Trees are used to make shoes. In Northern Europe wooden shoes called "Clogs" are made from Willow, Poplar, Birch, Beech and Alderwood.
Trees have been used to make airplanes. The famous "Spruce Goose" giant airplane that is now on display at the Evergreen Aviation and Space museum in Oregon is made almost entirely of wood.
The ground shells of the Black Walnut tree are used as a polishing abrasive and as an additive in well-drilling mud.
There are trees that improve soil quality and can be used as natural crop boosters two examples are Cajanus cajan or Gliricidia sepium.

Submit your vote for the world´s most valued tree species at the top of the right column.

Sandarac - tetraclinis articulata

2009-04-02T15:15:00.003+02:00

The Sandarac tree (species: Tetraclinis articulata) is a small to medium size evergreen tree native to the western Mediterranean with a notable presence in the Atlas mountains of Morocco. It is the national tree of Malta. The leaves of the Sandarac are scale like and similar to those of the Thuja although the two are not related. The Sandarac is the only tree in it´s genus (tetraclinis).

The Sandarac "cones" are small green ball like in shape and measure less than one centemeter across. When they mature they turn brown and open with four petal like sides.

From a distance this tree species can look a lot like a pine tree but when examined up close it is easily distinguished apart by its thin scale like leaves that do not grow as needles but rather branch out from one another as in the image below.

There are several commercial uses for the Sandrac. The Arabs are said to have used the resin from this tree as a incense. Today it is the source of a resin that is also called Sandarac that is used to make varnish. Sandarac gum resin can be purchased on Ebay. In the Atlas mountains this tree is cut down in search of burr wood for wood carving. Often this is done by repeatedy cuting the tree back every number of years for coppice regrowth. One problem with this, however is that the presence of livestock feeding on the coppice regrowth can kill the tree altogether. It is also used to make liquor.

The image below is a 19th century illustration by Koehler in his work Medicinal Plants 1887. This image is now in the public domain.

Atocha Botanical Garden - Madrid Spain

2009-03-25T16:19:00.004+01:00

The interior of the old part of the "Atocha" Madrid central train station is now an indoor botanical garden. This indoor tropical jungle was inaugurated in 1992 and covers an area of 4,000 square meters. There are about 7,000 plants from 260 different species in the garden as well as a pond with Goldfish and turtles. I first visited this garden in the Spring of 1994.

The garden is located where the old train landings used to be. There are paths that criss cross the garden and several cafes around the sides. Most of the plants are tropical species and a good number of them are palms. Some of these palms are so tall that they reach almost to the roof of the domed building. The image below is of the "Travelers Palm" that is native to Madagascar. In most outdoor settings this pseudo palms leaves tend to shred like a Banana tree but in this indoor garden the leaves are all intact and much more impressive.

The image below is of the Queen Sago (Cycas circinalis) which is similar to the King Sago Palm (Cycas revoluta).
In the swamp like pond at one end of the garden there are several Baldcypress trees (image below) as well as several Malabar Chestnuts.
Some other tree species in the garden include the Blue Jacaranda, the Fiddle Leaf Fig, the White Bird of Paradise, and the Rubber tree.

The Atocha train station is still the main central train station for the city of Madrid with access to the local Metro, the suburb light-rail "Renfe Cercanias", regional trains, national "Talgo" trains and the "Ave" bullet trains that go to Barcelona, Sevilla, Cordoba, Malaga and Toledo.

Edible Chestnuts vs. Horse Chestnuts

2009-03-25T00:07:00.004+01:00

This is a post about which chestnuts you can eat and which ones you cannot eat.

To tell the difference between an edible chestnut (from Castanea Sativa) and a non-edible chestnut (Horse Chestnut or Buckeye) you need to take a close look at the pod that the chestnuts grow in. Once the chestnut (seeds) are out of their pods they can look very similar to each other.

The pod of the edible sweet chestnut has a sort of "porcupine" look to it with thin prickly spikes that point out in all directions and form a sort of thicket where you cannot see anything but the spikes. These are green while the chestnuts are forming and then turn brown when the chestnuts are mature. Handling these pods without gloves can be quite tricky.

The chestnuts from a Horse Chestnut or Buckeye on the other hand have short bumpy spikes on a smooth ball shaped fruit where you can see the surface between the spikes. As you can see in these images there are a lot fewer spikes which are also shorter and less pointy than those of the edible chestnuts.

The leaves are also very different. Those of the Horse Chestnut and Buckey are palmate with five leaflets like the one in the image below.

Tree Aid - Improving the quality of life in rural Africa

2009-03-24T09:46:00.004+01:00

I recently came across the website of a non-profit organization by the name of "Tree Aid". This organization has been working in Africa’s rural drylands, in some of the poorest regions of Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana and Mali, where forestry centered development interventions can alleviate poverty sustainability.

"TREE AID" is helping villagers in Africa to learn how to use and care for their trees, to know what to sell and how to sell it, learn to build and run a business so they can be self-reliant" - Zoe Wanamaker CBE

I am impressed by the idea behind TREE AID and I find it to be a convincing way to improve the basic quality of life for rural African communities. When trees area properly cared for they can be a sustainable source of food, medicines, essential oils, shade, firewood etc. A community without trees is a community without hope.

In support of TREE AID I am going to place this banner in the left column of this blog with a link to their website. I would encourage anyone interested to check this interesting organization out.

Weeping European Beech - Fagus Sylvatica Pendula

2009-03-23T21:49:00.003+01:00

The Weeping European Beech is a cultivar of the tree species "Fagus Sylvatica". The "weeping" refers to the fact that the ends of the branches hang down in a limp "pendulum" sort of fashion. All weeping tree species variants have species names that end with the term "pendula". The Weeping Willow is probably the most famous of all weeping tree species.

The tree in this series of images is located in the Finch Arboretum near Spokane, Washington. The Finch Arboretum was established in 1949 and is comprised of 65 acres of land .
The image below is a 19th century illustration of the European Beech that is now in the public domain.

Hybrid Strawberry tree - Arbutus x andrachnoides

2009-03-22T16:46:00.005+01:00

The Arbutus x andrachnoides is a naturally occuring hybrid of the Strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo) and the Greek Strawberry tree (Arbutus andrachne) that is found in Greece and Cyprus. The pictures in this post however come from a tree in the Madrid Botanical Garden.

The leaves and flowers of this hybrid are quite similar to those of the "Madrono" (Strawberry tree) but the bark is quite different. For one it is quite flacky and the outer brown, paper thin layer peels off to reveal a lime green with brownish patches, smooth layer beneath.

This hybrid is grown mainly for ornamental purposes and not as a fruit bearing tree as it is not known to produce nearly as well as the Arbutus unedo.

European Ash - Fraxinus Excelsior

2009-03-21T22:19:00.005+01:00

The European Ash tree (species: Fraxinus excelsior) is a medium size tree native to most of Europe and quite common in Spain where these images were taken. They are relatively common in pasture land in the northern half of Spain where they are used along stone fences and also for poles and firewood using the "Pollarding" method of tree management. The tree in the image above looks as if it has been Pollarded at some point although the branches look as though it has been a number of years since this took place and the tree has been allowed to grow without being trimmed back like many of the others in the area.

The leaves of the European Ash are pinnate compound with 5-11 leaflets. The individual leaflets have serrated margins and measure about 2 inches long and less than 1 inch wide.

The image above shows the newly forming flowers. Below is a picture of the samara like seeds that occur in clusters that look similar to those of the Boxelder maple when they are hanging dry on the tree in the spring.

I found the 1885 illustration below in Wikipedia under a public domain license.
Several of the the images in this post are from the town of "Alameda del Valle" north of Madrid. The word "Alameda" means "a stand of Alamo trees". In this context "Alamo" is the Spanish name of the "Populus nigra" tree.

Sculptured Cypress Trees - Retiro Park

2009-03-20T15:28:00.003+01:00

In the "El Parterre" section of the "Parque del Buen Retiro" in Madrid Spain there are a series of sculptured trees that look like something out of a Dr. Sues book. I was not sure what species of tree they were but upon closer examination I found them to be Mediterranean Cypress trees (Cupressus sempervirens). This tree species is most often found with its columnar form but as you can see from these images it can be shapped into almost any form.
The "Parterre" section of the park is quite close to the Prado museum and has a classic French garden type layout with several other notable tree species. In the image below the large tree on the right, tht is a bit brown in color, is a Montezuma Cypress tree (Taxodium mucronatum). It is the most famous tree in the Retiro park and is believed to be close to 400 years old. The other two evergreen type trees to the left are are either Atlas or Himalayan Cedar trees.

Not to far from this part of the park is a crystal palace with a large pond that is the home to several Baldcypress trees (Taxodium distichum).

Bald Cypress in the Retiro Park of Madrid

2009-03-18T17:49:00.004+01:00

Located in a large pond in the "Retiro" park in Madrid, Spain are several fine specimens of Bald Cypress trees (Taxodium distichum), also called Swamp Cypress or Baldcypress. These trees are growing in a man made pond in front of a crystal palace that was built in 1887 to house an exposition of plants from the Philipines. It was patturned after the Crystal Palace that was built in London in 1851.

Today the crystal palace stands empty execpt for an occasional exposition of art etc. The pond in front of the palace with its Swamp Cypress trees is a favorite of turists and photographers. A pathway winds around the prerimeter of the pond and at one point even goes through a cave from where you can look out through the water fall and observe several of the trees.

Bald Cypress trees have a trunk that is quite wide at the base as you can see in the image below. These trees also turn a bright golden color in the fall and are a very pretty sight to behold.
The cones of the Bald Cypress are similar in shape to those of the Common Cypress despite the fact that they belong to different genus.

Not too far from the "Palacio de Cristal" there is another tree from same tree family (genus) that is the oldest and most impressive tree in the park. It is a Montezuma Cypress (Taxodium mucronatum) and goes by the name "Ahuehuete del Parterre".

How to take care of Ficus Benjamina plants

2009-03-16T11:06:00.006+01:00

The Benjamin Fig (Ficus Benjamina) is one of the most common tree species that is used as an indoor potted plant. Although it is very well suited to be used in indoor settings the fact that it is a tree requires that it cared for following a few simple tips.

#One - Make sure that your Ficus plant is getting the right amount of sunlight. Ample light is necessary and some direct light for part of the day is fine but avoid a location that exposes to plant to direct sunlight for too long. Also keep in mind that these plants are very sensitive to changes. It is not uncommon for a Benjamin Fig to drop all of its leaves in response to a dramatic change. The trick is to find a good location and then don't move it!

#Two - Take care of your plant' s roots. The two main things you need to worry about are root rot and becoming root bound. To avoid root rot it is a good idea to not let you plant sit in standing water. If you over water and allow the plant to sit in a tray with the excess water root rot may develop which in turn will cause the leaves to start spotting and falling off. Water the plant only when the soil is almost dry, make sure the moisture gets to the roots but don't allow the excess water to collect at the base of the plant. In between these waterings you can also keep the plant happy by misting it every few days or so. To avoid the plant becoming root bound it will be necessary to trip back the roots every 3-5 years and possibly change up to a larger pot.

# Three - Keep your plant well fed. It is generally recommended to fertilize a Benjamin Fig monthly during the months that the plant is growing with a basic fertilizer diluted to at least half strength. It is important to feed your plant but it may be equally important to not overfeed it as well.

And remember, your plant is in fact a tree and is trying to become like the one below, so to keep it small and cute in an indoor setting you need to take care of it!

see also...
Fiddle Leaf Fig care tips
Money tree plants

Giant Sequoias at La Granja de San Ildefonso Segovia

2009-03-14T09:59:00.004+01:00

There is in Spain a majestic palace at whose entrance you will find standing guard the most amazing collection of giant trees. The palace is located in the town of San Ildefonso in the province of Segovia, which if you are not familiar with Spain, is about an hours drive north-west of Madrid.

The Royal Palace at San Ildefonso was built by king Philip V starting in 1719 and was patterned a great deal on the French palace of Versailles which was built by Philip´s grandfather Luis XIV of France.

There are a great many trees around the royal gardens but in this post I want to focus on two Giant Sequoias near the front entrance of the main palace. Giant Sequoias are not native to Spain but there were most likely brought back to Spain by Spanish explorers who started establishing missions in California in the late 18th Century. The most reliable information that I have found states that the Sequoias of San Ildefonso were planted around the year 1870 which means that they are now about 140 years old.

There are two Giant Sequoias at San Ildefonso. The one on the left in the image above has been called "el Rey" (the King) in Spanish and is 40 meters tall and has a trunk circumference of 13 meters. "the King" is more rugged looking of the two and has the look of having been broken off at the top at some point.

The other Sequoia is called "la Reina" (the Queen) and is 34 meters tall and has a trunk circumference of 9 meters. "the Queen" (image below) is definitely the better looking of the two and has a fine conical shape.

A sign near these trees identifies their species as well as those of the other great trees that stand nearby. I will mention some of these in a future post.

Ten Tallest Tree Species

2009-03-13T13:08:00.005+01:00

#1 Coastal Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens)

Hyperion: 379 feet (115 meters)
Helios 376.3 feet
Stratosphere Giant 370.5 feet
Mendocino Tree: 368 feet

#2 Mountain Ash (Eucalyptus regnans)

Centurion: 101 meters
Icarus Dream: 97 meters
Mount tree: 96 meters

#3 Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii)

Doerner Fir”, (previously known as the Brummit fir), 99.4 meters
Cathedral Grove: 76 meters (249 feet)

#4 Sitka Spruce (Picea sitchensis)

Carmanah Giant: 96 meters (315 ft)
Quinault rain forest (191 feet)
Giant Spruce of Cape Perpetua (185 feet)

#5 Giant Sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum)

Redwood Mountain Grove: 94.9 meters
Diamond Tree: 87.2 meters
Hart Redwood: 84.8 meters
General Sherman: 84.2 meters

#6 Blue Gum (Eucalyptus globulus)

Tasmania: 90.7 meters

#7 White Gum (Eucalyptus viminalis)

Evercreech forest reserve: 89-91 meters

#8 Noble fir (Abies procera)

Goat Marsh Research Natural Area: 89.9 meters ( Mt. St. Helens National Monument)

#9 Alpine Ash (Eucalyptus delagatensis)

Tasmania - 88.7 meters

#10 Yellow Meranti (Shorea faguetiana)

Tawau Hills Nation Park, Borneo: 88.3 meters

runner up - Shining Gum (Eucalyptus nitens)

Tasmania - 84.4 meters

Tallest Hardwood Tree in the World

2009-03-12T14:48:00.004+01:00

A new champion hardwood tree has recently been discovered in Tasmania, Australia. Standing at 101 meters tall the newly found Giant has been named "Centurion". The tree is a "Swamp Gum" (Eucalyptus regnans) and was discovered by Tasmanian forestry staff using an airbord "LIDAR" laser scanner.

While this tree is not the tallest tree in the world it is the tallest hardwood, the tallest flowering tree and the tallest tree in Australia. The world´s tallest tree is a Coastal Redwood by the name of "Hyperion" which is 114 meters (379 feet) tall. After the Coastal Redwood the Eucalyptus regnans in the world´s next tallest tree species.

The "Centurion" tree in Tasmania is located just 5 km from the Tahune airwalk. The discovery of this tree has been very exciting for forestry officials in Australia as it is the only hardwood tree in the world that stands more than 100 meters tall.

Other tall "Swamp Gum" trees in Australia are...

Icarus Dream - 97 meters
Mount Tree - 96 meters
Damocles - 93 meters
Medusa - 92 meters

Money Tree Plant - Pachira Glabra

2009-03-10T15:03:00.003+01:00

One of the most common indoor potted tree plants is the "Money tree" (also known as the "Lucky money tree" or the "Bonsai money tree" or even "French Peanut"). There is considerable confusion it seems as to the species of tree that these "money trees" belong to. They are almost always listed as being "Pachira aquatica" in nurseries and plant shops. The truth however is that there are several species in the pachira genus that are used to make the braided money trees and in my opinion the most commonly used is not pachira aquatica but rather parchira glabra (sometimes called Bombax glabra or Bombacopsis glabra).

The differnce between the p. aquatica and the p. glabra can be easily seen in the fruit and the flower. p. aquatica has a flower with redish stamens while the p. glabra has a flower with creamy white stamens. The fruit of the p. aquatica is woody brown with a rough texture while that of the p. glabra is green and has a smooth surface.

These two distinctives are of little use however if what you are trying to do is identify a potted money tree plant that in all likelyhood will never have neither flower nor fruit pod. This leaves just the leaves as the source of differences to determine the true species.

One of the reader comments on my previous post about the p. aquatica tiped me off to the difference. The venation of the p. glabra is more horizontal with respect to the petiole while the p. aquatica is slightly more angled. From my observations the leaflet shape is also slighly different with the p. glabra being a bit more long and pointy and the p. aquatica a bit more round and less pointed.

The images above and below are from a braided money tree plant that was planted in the Torrremolinos botanical garden "molino de inca". I happend to come across it when it had fruit that was mature enough to check the color and texture.

Links to pachira glabra sites...
http://www.montosogardens.com/pachira_glabra.htm
http://www.kartuz.com/p/80057/Pachira+glabra.html
http://www.esalq.usp.br/trilhas/fruti/fr04.htm

Japanese Maple - Acer palmatum

2009-03-07T13:45:00.004+01:00

The Japanese maple (species name: Acer palmatum) is a small tree or large shrub in the Maple family that is native to the Asian countries of China, Korea and Japan. It is highly prized as a garden tree for its great ornamental beauty. It is the hallmark of every Japanese garden and is often found planted next to beautiful ponds with colourful Carp fish.

The leaves are palmate with serrated margins and measure about 3-4 inches (8-10 cm) across. The leaves range in color from green to red to almost a deep purple on different cultivars. There are thousands of cultivars of this tree species that have been selected for their various leaf shapes and colors. The image below is of a variety with leaves leaning more towards red.

In the Seattle area I have seen Japanese Maples that are quite large, measuring over 20 feet tall often with multiple trunks that branch off close to the base of the tree. On smaller specimens the trees have been pruned to keep more of a dome or bonsai type shape.
The picture below was taken under a fairly large Japanese Maple in North Seattle.
Other Maples I´ve blogged about are...
Sycamore Maple, , Vine Maple, Big Leaf Maple, Red Maple, Boxelder Maple, Montpellier Maple

Indoor Fiddle Leaf Fig care tips

2009-03-06T12:35:00.005+01:00

The Fiddle Leaf Fig tree is commonly used as an indoor potted plant. It is relatively easy to care for, has large beautiful leaves and has a slow rate of growth. In this post I will list seven tips for caring for this tree species in an indoor environment as well as links to sites with more information.

Tip #One
Make sure your plant has right amount of light. Abundant but not direct light is recommended. Too little light will cause the plant to loose leaves and thin out. It also tends to grow towards the light giving the impression that it is leaning. Rotate the plant every so often to keep it growing straight and to ensure bushiness.

Tip #Two
Don´t over water the plant. The Fiddle leaf fig does well with short dry periods between waterings. The frequency of watering depends on the amount of light the plant gets. One good way to determine how often you should water is to let the pot dry out until the new growth at the top begins to wilt slightly. Calculate the time that elapsed from the last watering and subtract a day or two to determine the ideal frequency of watering. This way you will be watering the plant just before it starts to wilt the next time.
Read more at...
http://www.farmlifenursery.com/Web%20pages/Lyrata%20care.htm

Tip #Three
Prune to encourage branching and bushiness. The Fiddle leaf fig tends to grow a tall single stem when indoors. This long stem will normally not be able to keep itself upright and will require some sort of support. To encourage a more "tree like" form prune the plant at a desirable hight while the plant is still fairly young. It is recommended to do this in early spring before the new growth forms.
Read more at...
http://www.marketblooms.com/plantcare/pdf/FiddleLeafFig.pdf

Tip #Four
Be careful not to expose the plant to dry heat or drafts. Like other Ficus tree plants the Fiddle leaf fig has a tendency to drop its leaves when exposed to too much dry heat or drafts and go into a sort of dormant recovery mode for a period of time. Some figs such as the Sacred Fig will do this as part of their normal growth cycle just prior to the growth of new leaves.

Tip # Five
Clean the dust of the leaves once in a while to allow the plant to absorb as much light as possible. Often in indoor settings a layer of dust builds up on the leaves without our being aware of it and reduces the effective light that the plant gets. Every so often gently clean the leaves of with a soft cloth. Don´t try to do this with your hands as rubbing the leaves can damage them slightly and cause them to bleed little drops of white milky sap. Use latex gloves if you are allergic to this plant.

Tip #Six
Move your plant to an outdoor setting during the summer so that it can get more light. If you do this however transition it back indoors gradually at the end of the summer to avoid shocking the plant.

Tip #Seven
Trim the roots every year or two. The Fiddle Leaf Fig is a tree capable of growing to 40-50 feet tall with a normal root system for a tree that size. When roots grow in a small container they have little room to grow in and end up wrapping around the base of the container or growing out the bottom of the pot. Trimming the root system back during the dormant season will help keep the plant growth slow and will help maintain healthy roots.

http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/houseplt/msg0718401415535.html

http://plantcareguru.com/plant_care/fiddle_leaf_fig.php

Meryta Denhamii of New Caledonia

2009-03-05T23:09:00.004+01:00

The Meryta Denhamii tree (this is also its binomial scientific name) is native to the south pacific island nation of New Caledonia (east of Australia). The Meryta Denhamii has long leaves. The leaves in these images are about 2-3 feet long (75cm) and about 8-12 inches wide (25cm).
The flowers of this tree species are quite interesting and unique as you can see from the images above and below. The individual ball like flowers are about 1 inch in diameter.
I photographed two trees for this post, both of which I found in the Spanish city of Malaga. The tree below is in the "paseo del parque" gardens that run along the port. The second tree was in the Picaso gardens along the Avenida de Andalucia.

The large leaves have a thick, stiff spine that runs the lenght of the leaf that helps keep its from.
The image below is of the bark on the main trunk of the tree. Malaga has a sub-tropical climate that does not experience freezing tempuratures which is one factor that has enable this tree species to be cultivated there.

Silver Wattle or Mimosa - Acacia dealbata

2009-03-03T09:37:00.003+01:00

The Silver Wattle tree (species name: Acacia dealbata) is native to the southeastern Australian states of New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania. In its native range it is reported to grow to an impressive 30 meters (98 feet) tall. In southern Europe however where the images in this post were taken the "Mimosa" as it is called in Spanish usually only reaches a height of about 20-30 feet.

Probably the most striking feature of the Silver Wattle is its bright yellow flowers that are blooming right at the moment (early March) in Madrid, Spain. The flowers are clustered in racemes and the puffy little flower heads are globose in shape and similar to the Golden Wreath Wattle that is also common in Spain.

The leaves of the Acacia dealbata are bipinnate (they are like a scaled down version of the Jacaranda leaf). Another tree that has very similar leaves and is sometimes confused with this tree is the Persian Silk tree. The White Popinac also has bipinnate leaves and globose flowers. The image above was taken in the "Polvoranca" park that is located between the Madrid suburbs of Leganes, Alcorcon and Fuenlabrada. The picture illustrates the typical rounded crown of this tree species.

The bark (at least on young trees) is greyish-brown and smooth (see image below).

Other Australian trees that can be found in Southern Spain are...