Eastern Black Walnut - Juglans nigra

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

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

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

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.