One fig growing out from inside another

 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.

Black locust - Robinia pseudoacacia

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.

Images of edible sweet chestnuts

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

Prickly Pear or Barbary Fig - a tree like cactus

 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

 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.

When to harvest bay leaves

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.

Greek Strawberry tree - Arbutus andrachne

 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

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.

Cherry plum - Prunus cerasifera

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.

Custard Apple "Cherimoya" (Annona cherimola)

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.

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.