Let's go native!

I thought it might be fun to share some native plants that might not get the attention they deserve. Yes, yes, I understand they're not human and most likely don't have the inclination to ponder how humans consider them, but I'm guessing all of us have a native plant in our midst that could use a little love. My choice is the lowly Jack Pine, whose motto is, "Thank god for Boxelder!" I've watched this tree for years, and I've come to realize that it does take time to truly understand a tree. It doesn't happen overnight, at least it doesn't for me. Over the past several weeks I've seen its needles go from a light golden hue to a glowing vibrant green. A very nice transformation that I'm afraid far too many people simply don't see.

I'll weigh in with our native persimmon with its charismatic bark.

Geez, off the cuff, I'd say our Liquidambar styraciflua. It's not the most common landscape tree but it's not uncommon by any means. It doesn't get a lot of love though due to its spiny fruits that drop in winter. I'd imagine you'd rather not step on one barefoot. What I love about it is that it is a fast grower, has cool shaped leaves, and awesome fall foliage. It's hard to beat in the fall color category as in an average autumn a tree might have yellow, orange, pink, purple, and green leaves all at the same time. Below are some pics from the www, not mine but could be mine eventually.

I have a cultivar of sweetgum called Worplesden which has the strangest polka dot fall color. Every leaf is different. Like a harlequin. Unfortunately, it was one of several trees I lost in a storm last fall. There's still a stump, so I'm not sure if anything will regrow - and if so, if it will be my Worplesden or whatever it was grafted on. I'll know soon enough.

That's pretty interesting Wee...does it do that every year?

Yep. Summer foliage color is straight green. Was a nice tree; I suspect now a goner.

I just found a tree with spiny seedpods and was going to identify it. I didn't have to after reading this post, its a Sweetgum (thanks Sequoia). I'm very fond of them, fall color is a real draw. Your Worplesden is cool Wee, hope it revives! I love, love, love the Persimmon's bark too.

Well played, Weerobin and Sequoia. I'll see your Persimmon & Sweetgum and raise you a White Spruce and Red Pine.

Can you name this nifty native?

Hmm...broadleaf evergreen in zone 4? That's impressive on its own. I've got no clue. My first thought was some type of laurel but I don't think the leaves are pointy enough.

No, not Kalmia, but you are on the right track.

I swear it looks like young sweetleaf/horse sugar, (Symplocos tinctoria) but in zone 4? Nah.

Bound to be...Ericaceae!

I'd put it in the Vaccinium crowd, which I don't get to see often.

Right family; wrong genus. Hint: rhizomatous.

It'll be awhile, if it's not a calciphile...

I give up - that's MY acid reaction.

gaultheria procumbens?
Doesn't grow around here, so I've never seen it...

Ding, ding, ding...we've got a winner!

Wow, what did I win??

How about some Gaultheria foliage to suck on? Your breath will be minty fresh. :)

How about we move to a region where life and spring are bursting forth...here's a long time favorite denizen of the central KY Bluegrass, doing its spring thing.

Hmmm...

No leaves or anything else to go on??

I have no idea what it is, but it reminds me of a sea creature. Am I close?

Something with bad case of aphids?

OK, since nobody chimed in with an answer, I'll throw sassafras out there?

Thank you for the Easter morning chuckle.

These plants are not yet leafed out. No sea urchins, no aphids, and you can throw Sassafras anywhere you want - but that's not it.

Here is some additional information.

We have a lot of native sweetgums here, along with some sassafras. The sweetgum balls are a pain, to be sure, but the foliage of the tree more than makes up for it. And natives are nice because they tend to provide food and reproductive sites for native wildlife, whereas non-natives, although often attractive, don't do anything for our birds, butterflies or their four-footed kin.

Is it Liriodendron tulipifera?

I think I've got it: Fraxinus quadrangulata.

Pseudo can tell his Ash from a whole...well, lot of other trees.

Yes, this is the Blue Ash. Famously plentiful here in the inner Bluegrass, the extensive estate of Henry Clay was heavily populated with this species - thus the name Ashland.

Quite a few of those old codgers still grace the remaining grounds there, and there are many still extant in the Ashland Park and adjoining Chevy Chase subdivisions which were subsequently carved out of that farm property as it was developed.

Blue Ash - along with Bur Oak and Chinkapin Oak - are the grand old pre-settlement trees of agricultural farm pastures around the central Kentucky countryside, many of them multiple hundreds of years old. I drive past many of these daily to and from work.

This species has never been a popular or commercial plant. I've made it one of my missions to see that as many Fraxinus quadrangulata offspring as possible end up in landscapes where they too can live a long life.

Interesting. Any concern with EAB? Actually, I'm surprised you haven't been hit hard with it down there. The city of La Crosse, WI, which is about 90 miles due south, just announced an ash removal program due to EAB, starting with small and damaged/deteriorated trees. It has also been found in pockets of the Twin Cities. It's just a matter of time 'til it finds Eau Claire...probably already has.

BTW, that first line was gold.

HeeHee. gold indeed.
I spent a bit of time yesterday with this one, decided it was not Blue ash because the keys and pics showed twigs to be 4-angled or even winged, though the leaf scars looked correct. But I couldn't figure it out. Darn. Pseudo how did you figure it out?

I suppose I could go on about leaf arrangement, pinnately compound leaves, etc., but the truth is I managed to get in John's head (large brain with an odd tilt to the right) and deduced he'd go with something somewhat unique to Kentucky. After seeing that rugged horse farm specimen, I deduced Blue Ash. I've visited there a few times and have seen these trees up close, which definitely helped.

To pile on...what about Fraxinus profunda?

The butt of all jokes when it comes to Ash trees.

Sweetgum has one of the most beautiful fall colorations around here, and in the woods you don't worry about the spiky balls. I was reveling in unfolding buds yesterday.


Back to the ash..

My Sweetgum looks to only have 2 seeds pods this year. You can tell because the buds are 5x as big as regular leaf buds. It's supposed to be a seedless variety, 'Happydaze' but it still produces seed pods.

All the better to reproduce with Sequoia...just stick those pods in the mail come fall and I'll pay for postage.

Pseudo, meet Jane...a Magnolia custom dreamed up just for you...she's a hardy southern look-a-like!
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/80433/

Sure thing, I had plenty last year. I still don't understand why a seedless variety would be producing seeds.

I've heard of this happening with seedless grapes, sometimes age, sometimes stress...I guess its not an absolute.