Hi folks, I am a Caribbean based eco-musician, turning sunshine into music. Apart from that, I also like to spend time in nature. Some time ago, I found some seeds on the windward coast of the island I live on which must have been brought there from South America by the sea. One of them germinated and has -up till now- grown into a small tree of about 2 meters (some 6 feet). I am wondering what kind of tree this is. Cheers! Turtuga Blanku *Solar Power Music at: www.TurtugaBlanku.com*
Looks like Ailanthus altissima. Common name Tree of Heaven. http://images.google.com/images?q=a...1I7SUNA_en-GB&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi In the U.S.A. it is considered an invasive species. http://www.invasive.org/species/subject.cfm?sub=3003 P.S. Welcome to the UBC forums Turtuga Blanku.
Not Ailanthus as it lacks glands on leaflets. http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/tonto/natur...f_heaven/Ailanthus_glands_on_back_of_leaf.jpg
Sorry Saltcedar, I disagree. It is still a young tree,so does not display atypical foliage yet. I studied the pics very carefully. On the second pic, just next to the 1st finger, on the leaf on the left, you can see a gland.
Also lacks lenticils on bark but it's cool to disagree. That's what make this interesting :-) "I found some seeds on the windward coast of the island I live on which must have been brought there from South America by the sea." This further indicates a "Sea bean" which a the Samaras of Ailanthus wouldn't survive.
thanks for the reply and the welcome :) Hmmm.. it does look to be part of the Family: Simaroubaceae, indeed! I did not find Glandular notches at the base of the leaflets, though. Also, the shape of the leaves..they seem to be a bit less pointy at the top.. Apart from that, Ailanthus altissima -unlike other members of the genus Ailanthus- it is found in temperate climates rather than the tropics. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ailanthus_altissima). So, I am thinking it might be another member of the genus Ailanthus ..? Turtuga Blanku *Solar Power Music at: www.TurtugaBlanku.com*
(Ah, I had not seen that there were more replies! Thanks for those as well! I am still not sure it is the Ailanthus altissima) Turtuga Blanku *Solar Power Music at: www.TurtugaBlanku.com*
I'd agree, not Ailanthus. Not sure what it is though, not surprising as I don't have much tropical experience. Can you remember what the seed was like? Size? Shape? Hard-shelled or soft? Even better, any photos, or drawings, of it?
If I didn't know better, I'd say it was a young Ahuano (Sweitenia spp) or Cedron (Cedrela odorata) tree - these are both tropical hardwoods. However I'm hard pressed to say how they washed up on your shores, since they're typically Amazon-basin trees. Equally, if it were Juglans of some sort (another possibility) you would have recognized the seed immediately - walnuts are very distinctive. I'm stumped! It's very familiar but it's quite a ways from its regular home. What do the leaves smell like when you crush one?
Swietenia mahagoni is native in the Caribbean. But it usually has even-pinnate leaves (no terminal leaflet), whereas the mystery plant does have a terminal leaflet.
@Michael F - I have no idea what the seed looks like.. it has been a while since I planted it (at least 1.5 years, come to think of it) and I planted it knowing that most of those different seeds I had found would probably not germinate, and I did not make any notes or pictures of the seeds. It has indeed the terminal leaflet and each of the branches have either 15 or 17 leaves, including the terminal leaflet. I am pretty sure it is not a mahagoni (we call it "mahok" overhere) as I had someone over the other day who does have a mahagoni in her garden and she did not recognize my tree as being one. @lorax - a Cedron (Cedrela odorata) tree... that does not have a terminal leaflet either... Hmmm... (b.t.w. "Amazon-basin trees".. I'm very close to South America, so it could be possible). If any other, more detailed pictures are needed, just let me know.. I could try to get the "hairs" on the branches on a picture..? The backside of leafs?
That looks remarkably like a staghorn sumac, to me. [I want one, as it makes a spice as well as being beautiful.]
Parent tree might be growing near beach where seed collected. Turning around and looking inland from the beach might reveal it. Otherwise same species might be present in street, park or garden plantings elsewhere on island, where it could be possible to get a name from someone there.
@lorax - I'm on the "B" of the ABCs. @2annbrow - R. glabra.... hmmm.. the leafs do not have a jagged edge to them.. it is rather smooth. Also, I see no purple on the branches (apparently common on the branches of the Smooth sumac variant)... @Ron B - When I turn around and look at the inland, I have the trade winds in my back and I see mostly low shrubs and cactea :^D But I get what you mean. Although I have never seen it in any garden here on the island, I keep on the lookout!
Hi, I think your best bet for getting this identified is to contact the sea bean people - I think they will be interested and helpful. Start at this web site: http://www.seabean.com/ Boa Sorte Brian
Found it: Spondias mombin Not very common here. Some google images: http://www.rain-tree.com/Plant-Images/Spondias_mombin_p1.jpg http://www.ethnopharmacologia.org/photoprelude/Spondias_mombin1.jpg http://www.metafro.be/prelude/prelude_pic/Spondias_mombin2.jpg :)
I'm very surprised that the seed survived an ocean journey, then! Kudos - Mombin are very tasty fruits.
I looked up the seeds and recognize them too. Those wash up on the windward coast of the island quite regularly. I remember having gathered them (this is a couple of years ago). Here the tree is called 'Hoba'. Iguanas (Iguana iguana) quite like the fruit too, from what I've read. The tree is still in a pot, I'm going to look up where I could best plant it.
Down here, we go for full sun with Mombins (which we call Ubo) and then just water the heck out of them. It dwarfs the tree slightly, making the fruit easier to harvest. Personally, I like them when they're red-orange, but if you pick them green you can pickle them like olives.
It has been some time, but not long after my latest posting in this thread, I have planted the tree in the full ground. It has been growing pretty fast, since. No fruits yet. I've found another one growing on the island, and I know there must be more, so I added nicely to the genetic variation of this species here on the island. Remember me mentioning that iguanas quite like the fruit as well? Well, here's a short video of the iguanas that I find around my little solar powered music studio, here in the Caribbean. Please enjoy it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UL858p3TeqU
It being a tree seedling it may be some years before it fruits. Some kinds of trees also require cross-pollination, with the result that isolated individuals are unable to produce. And there is also the matter of some kinds of trees producing partly or entirely uni-sexual flowers, so that fruits are never seen on "male" individuals.
