Mystery tree in my backyard

Discussion in 'Plants: Identification' started by skikkert, Sep 2, 2003.

  1. skikkert

    skikkert Member

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    I just moved to BC from Ontario, and have this tree in my backyard, which I cannot identify. Books don't list it, I haven't seen it at a local nursery, and the lady at the nursery recognized it from the description, but couldn't remember the name of it. Any help would be appreciated.

    The little red blossom opens out into new leaves, which are reddish at first, then I believe they turn green.

    Thank you to anyone who can help.

    Sarah
     

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  2. PlantExplorer

    PlantExplorer Active Member 10 Years

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    Malus?

    The photos just don’t show enough detail to give a clear idea of what your tree might be, but I’m going to guess that it is a flowering crab-apple of some kind. There are just too many different species, varieties and cultivars of Malus, the crab-apples, to try to guess which one it is though. If you could provide pictures of the blooms, fruit etc., that might help narrow down the possible choices. Hope this helps.
     
  3. skikkert

    skikkert Member

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    Thanks for the reply. I took a couple more photos this morning, hoping for some more detail. I'm afraid I've only been here for a couple of weeks, so this is all I've seen of the tree so far. When we bought the house in July, it looked about the same as it does now.

    The first shows more clearly the shape of what I called the blossom. It's about 1/2" across, and all the ones I can see are the same size. The leaves grow in clusters of four or five - I don't know enough to tell whether it's a compound leaf or a cluster of simple leaves. They have smooth edges and slightly rounded tips. Some are tinged with pink.

    The second photo shows new leaves - they start out pink like this, which I why I suspected they come from those little red buds. When I described such a process to the person at the nursery, she knew what I meant but couldn' recall the name, and I didn't see one like it on their grounds.

    If it is a crabapple of some type, that red bud would be the fruit. I broke one open and it could be some type of fruit. It seemed to be fleshy and had some tiny seeds inside.

    Thanks again,
    Sarah
     

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  4. Chris Klapwijk

    Chris Klapwijk Active Member 10 Years

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    The fruit resembles that of a Euonymus. Maybe an in focus close-up of same?
     
  5. PlantExplorer

    PlantExplorer Active Member 10 Years

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    Well, now these pictures are a bit fuzzy, but going by what I can see, I’m no longer so certain about the crab-apple ID. There is a good chance what you have is actually a Photinia davidiana, sometimes called Stransvaesia davidiana, which is a member of the rose family like the crab-apples.

    If your tree is evergreen, then chances are pretty good that it is Photinia davidiana. There is also the possibbility of it being Photinia villosa, but it is just too difficult to tell from these pictures.

    Photinia davidiana is native to China is has proven relatively hardy to the winters in southern coastal BC. Photinia villosa is native to Japan and China - both trees are relatively rare in cultivation.
     
    Last edited: Sep 3, 2003
  6. PlantExplorer

    PlantExplorer Active Member 10 Years

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    If you're thinking of Euonymus planipes, that's also a good possibility, but I wasn’t certain because the fruit did not appear to be as angular as you might expect.

    I've attached a picture I took of Euonymus planipes yesterday
     

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    Last edited: Sep 3, 2003
  7. skikkert

    skikkert Member

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    Thanks to you both - I'll have a look around, and see if those come close to what I have. Sorry about the photos - my camera doesn't do well with focusing on close-up shots.

    Sarah
     
  8. Douglas Justice

    Douglas Justice Well-Known Member UBC Botanical Garden Forums Administrator Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout Maple Society 10 Years

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  9. skikkert

    skikkert Member

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    Thank you! This photo looks exactly like my tree with all the fruit still closed.
    I belive my mystery is solved. I can't wait to see it when the fruit opens - the picture you linked to is beautiful. I love that orange and pink together.

    Thank you all for your help.

    Sarah
     

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