Berries

I think Juniper. I was shocked by the number of berries and pretty blue. Dozens of these are planted behind walmart probably about eight years since planted. Too bsd nobody sees them but birds , truckers, and people walking dogs offleash.

Grumble...

Yes, Juniperus virginiana cones - Eastern or Virginia Juniper, aka fondly known by the vernacular or colloquial term Eastern Red Cedar.

I think that's likely to be the selection 'Canaertii', or less likely 'Emerald Sentinel'.

Birds and truckers deserve nice things, too...

Thanks VV, I was going to say, "Hey Sally...what have you got against truckers?"

Quote, "birds , truckers, and people walking dogs offleash" and of course SallyG! Lol!
Your pic is what I was hoping from my volunteer Juniper, lots of berries. VV is right, they look like berries but are actually considered 'cones'.

Thanks for the ID and at least probable cultivar, and information. They are just so loaded with berries, fabulous.


(We walk our dog there because we can let her off leash and nobody throw a fit. All the parks here are on-leash, except dog parks, and she has little interest in walking around in a big cage with strange dogs, when her alternative is going "hunting" in the field or woods with her Alpha male and Alpha Female. Sadly we never seem to catch anything.)

Beautiful Eastern Red Cedar specimens, growing fat and healthy-looking because they don't have to rub elbows with their neighbors : )

I sense a scurrilous statement simmering...

Care to take that out in the alley?

Nah, I truly see the merit in both sides (witness: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/p.php?pid=9746264), so I'll just hang back and throw fuel on the fire if it dies down.

Ha ha...he's a sly one Muddy. You're a smart cookie, lol.

chuckle @ Muddy!

I'm always happy to make people laugh!

Beyond soil conditions: Here's a version of what some of you have said about an upside of trees' growing next to each other as they would in a forest. I copied this from http://www.westgov.com/citygov/documents/Struct.Pruning.pdf because I could not begin to explain it as well:

"In nature, trees tend to develop a sound structure in response to competition. They grow in close proximity to other trees and the shade created by the developing forest canopy suppresses growth of lower limbs. At the same time, the dominant trees in the forest tend to maintain a single stem and narrow crown as they grow toward light. This results in a reasonably strong structure in mature forest trees.Conditions are radically different when trees are planted in the landscape. The crown is exposed to full sun, which encourages a broader, more complex crown than one growing in the forest. Lower branches may grow very large, limbs develop in close proximity to one another and multiple stems can develop."

My take-away is that trees may be less likely to develop co-dominant leaders or problematic large limbs, or topple over, when they're growing in crowded conditions. That has proved to be true in my yard.

In addition, I'm pretty sure that I lost a Cornus florida because it was growing as a specimen tree rather than an understory tree. Its twin, growing in a more shaded spot, still stands.

On the other hand, when it comes to shrubs, crowded conditions may lead to disease. I have seen shrubs suffer major damage by being too friendly with their neighbors.

How's that for fine fence-sitting?

""The crown is exposed to full sun, which encourages a broader, more complex crown than one growing in the forest. Lower branches may grow very large, limbs develop in close proximity to one another and multiple stems can develop""

Read more: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1347287/#ixzz2qKvTJe2N

Here's one

http://www.waymarking.com/gallery/image.aspx?f=1&guid=8db5b8f4-1318-4c23-a2da-0840d24ae108&gid=3

What a phenomenal tree!

I'm not sure I can see the people under it (maybe one in a red jacket?), but I see green stuff growing on it: not English Ivy or another destructive vine, I hope.

Gee, do you suppose there's a connection between the awesomeness of that Sycamore and the fact it's growing next to a spring house?

I'm sure you meant that it's awesome because it is growing next to a spring...

That was implicit.

lol, Sally your first link led me back to...this page.

That link (to the same thread) shows up every time I cut/paste something from another's post. I backpedal over them.

Yeah, sorry, I usually delete that 'Read more' link…it's automatic. I appreciate the intention, I think it is to decrease people posting un-attributed stuff.

Now I get it...backpedal, ha,ha...backspace. Thanks for helping clarify that Sally! You're right, that's what a 'read more' link is for.