Trees, Glorious Trees
Forum Archives
Lisa A
Location: Oregon, Greater Portland Metro
Posted: Apr-15-2005 at 10:13am
While some go nutsy over the latest flower, I find myself swooning over trees. It's a foolish infatuation because I will never be able to indulge in every love. If I did, my garden would become an example of not being able to see the trees for the forest.
But now I have a new place to walk and ogle my loves, Northeast Ainsworth's linear arboretum. If you'd like to know more about this neighborhood gem, read Street Smarts.
If you could only pick 5, what would you say are your favorite trees?
Mine are (for the moment anyway, I'm a fickle tree-lover):
Katsura
Paperbark maple
Stewartia
Korean dogwood
Vine maple
Wanda
Location: Puget Sound corridor
Posted: Apr-15-2005 at 6:16pm
Only 5? I have to do some more research - some of those trees I've never heard of and I'm a tree freak. OK, from the list I think my top 5 would be:
Eucalyptus
Ginkgo
Katsura
Coast Redwood
Oregon White Oak
I'm assuming they did a lot of research on these trees and found them to be suitable for street trees (single trunked, not messy, roots not invasive, easy to grow). If I could come up with my own list and they didn't have to fit into the confines of a street I'd like to add Arbutus menziesii, Paulownia fortunei, Picea breweriana, Chionanthus retusis, Euonymous europaeus, larches and Dawn Redwood, Birches, apples - stop me I'm drooling! This is fun! Next?
-Wanda
Garden Spider
Location: Washington, Puget Sound Corridor
Posted: Apr-16-2005 at 9:49am
My favorites (in no particular order):
Dogwood
Shore Pine
Coasst Redwood
White Oak
Madrone
Barb
FloraGardener
Location: Washington, Long Beach Peninsula
Posted: Apr-17-2005 at 10:19am
I'm actually trying to decide what special two columnar trees to put on either side of a big stone sign at a new home development here at the beach....not a very windy location, in amended clay not sand. The hardest thing will be narrowing it down to a final choice. I would love eucalytpus but I think they want more of a northwest look. I'm hoping to find something on our trip to Joy Creek and Cistus. I might actually be inclined to do an elderberry pruned a bit tree like, maybe "Black Beauty" or the cutleaf form, but its non evergreen-ness might disappoint the client. Am also thinking about Hippophae rhamnoides (sea buckthorn) which for me has thrived in clay or sand.
My favourite trees:
Stewartia...mine is just a wee thing.
Paperbark Maple
Eucalyptus neglecta
Salix magnifica
Locust...gah, the Latin name slips my mind, you know, the gold leafed one, something pseudoacacia 'Frisia'
Cercis 'Forest Pansy'
cjmiller
Location: Oregon, Willamette Valley
Posted: Apr-17-2005 at 3:19pm
It is Robinia pseudoacacia,Frisia, Flora and I got one also last year, It grows fast, and mine kinda did a twist and leaned in a weird way, I wrote to MDVaden and he advised me that the rapid growth feature, could result in floppy behavior and suggested directive pruning during the early years. Oy!
I love my newest tree--spectacular coloring--Saw it when we were in New Zealand and fell in love. It is avalible at Eugene's Greer Gardens: Toona Cedrela sinensis "Flamingo". It has burgundy to pink leaves and burgundy stems. you might consider it for your columnar trees, It grows near the ocean, to 30 feet.
We also have:
Styrax japonicas: Japanese Snowbell tree,
Tilia: Linden
Weeping Katsura.
Carol
FloraGardener
Location: Washington, Long Beach Peninsula
Posted: Apr-17-2005 at 5:42pm
I put that "Toona" tree on my must have list. I was just told today the developers are putting some more fill on either side of the big rock so I have to wait on that part of the project, but that tree sounds just spectacular.
Thanks for the tip on pruning Robinia...might be too late for mine...It arrived with an odd tilt (about 6 feet tall, mail order) and is now taller, and still tilted, so might end up with a weeping form! Accidentally, that is.
Fern
Location: Washington, Western Cascade Foothills
Posted: Apr-17-2005 at 6:21pm
I want a Toonia tree! It was at a local nursery a while back but when I went back for it a week later it was gone. I read you can eat the new leaves, like in Chinese stir fries, and they have a garlic flavor. I don't know how good they really are, have you tried them? At least the one I saw wasn't the 'Flamingo' variety, it sounds like like it must be the best one to have with brighter new growth. My favorite trees at this moment are:
Pacific Dogwood ( Korean and others too)
Oaks ( Garry, Coast Live and the New Mexican native Willowleaf, a good evergreen, cold hardy one I have)
Birch bark Cherry
Eucalyptus
Tie between Crab Apples with good persistent fruit and disease resistance and Dove tree
I am a sucker for interesting bark and winter interest. I also got a Olive tree and a Medlar tree this year, I hope they do well. I also love any old tree with a craggly bark and a thick trunk because I can feel all the history they must of seen ( or I imagine!).
Fern
Garden Spider
Location: Washington, Puget Sound Corridor
Posted: Apr-18-2005 at 6:41am
Can I add a few trees to my list?
Weeping Willow (they have such a beautiful shape)
Western Hemlock
Alaskan Yellow Cedar
Ponderosa Pine
Flowering Cherry
Barb
JeanneK
Location: Oregon, Greater Portland Metro
Posted: Apr-18-2005 at 8:32am
The Toonia is a beauty but it looks alot like Tree of HeavenAilanthus altissima. Tree of Heaven pops up in even the smallest of cracks in the concrete! Hope the Toonia is not as invasive.
For favorite trees, ditto the paperbark maple, vine maple, madrone but add Betula papyrifera (paper birch),Populus tremuloides (Quaking aspen) and pinus aristata (bristlecone pine).
Jeanne
cjmiller
Location: Oregon, Willamette Valley
Posted: Apr-18-2005 at 4:07pm
About invasivenes on the Toona, The gardner in NZ told me that it suckers and showed me a 2 foot specimen at our feet! and
Mr. Greer said, basically, keep your clippers handy! It doesn't bloom so it doesn't self seed. I also read that leaves can be included in stir fries, however right now I would find it difficult to test it! Maybe next year!
Carol
Red Hare
Location: Oregon coast
Posted: Apr-19-2005 at 10:21am
Curly willow Any kind of eucalypt Olive - because no two are alike and they develop so much character Any kind of Japanese maple - maybe any kind of maple Flowering cherries - any variety Cornus alternifolia 'Argentea' (variegated pagoda dogwood, which I've only seen pictures of, but I now have my very own baby)
2nd 5:
Himalayan birch, especially in a grove
Madrone
Crape myrtle
Any kind of oak
Magnolia grandiflora
I, too, am a tree lover - I can't have enough trees. I really should be on a 5-acre lot in the country - I could spend the next 20 years filling it with trees, with wonderful shade-loving plants underneath. And a bench every 10 or 20 feet so I could stop and enjoy that particular vignette. Just a little slice of heaven...
Gardening for the Homebrewer: Grow and Process Plants for Making Beer, Wine, Gruit, Cider, Perry, and More
By co-authors Debbie Teashon (Rainy Side Gardeners) and Wendy Tweton