I thought that I had mad Google skillz... I thought it would be easy to identify a tree growing between the sidewalk and the street in a lower middle class neighborhood in San Pedro, California. (After all, that's not usually where you spot the REAL exotics, is it?) I was wrong. I humbly beg for your assistance... Edited to add: the leaves are paired, not alternate...
Excellent! Thank you very much! The next tree over (also between the sidewalk and road) is a Brachychiton populneus (Kurrajong), which is a native Australian tree. Cupaniopsis anacardioides is native to Australia, New Zealand and Indonesia. I sense a theme here... Brachychiton populneus: Seed pods: http://www.flickr.com/photos/shyzaboy/3846299619/ Flowers: http://www.flickr.com/photos/shyzaboy/3846301125/
I didn't think I even had mad Google skills, but I feel better today after finding this post within a few seconds! Thanks to both of you for saving me a ton of time keying this one out. This tree grows in the common area of my building, and after living here for years, I finally felt like figuring it out.
Great photo, Shyzaboy! I see that Carrotwood is on the Plant Conservation Alliance's Alien Plant Working Group LEAST WANTED list: "As of July 1999, carrotwood has been added to the State of Florida List of Noxious Weeds", where it poses a threat to coastal ecosystems like mangrove swamps. Not a problem, though, in California. cuka, I'd be feeling very impressed with my google skills if I were to come up with this post within a few seconds. Glad we could be here for you (though it had nothing to do with me).
They've actually got the name wrong; the correct name is Tuckeroo (ditto). Another unpleasant example of cultural imperialism by the USA, thinking they can dictate to people in Australia what their native plants should be called.
Yes, a great photo followed by great links in this thread. wcutler: I typed into Google almost the exact same words that shyza used in his subject line. Heh! Michael: Tuckeroo, Carrotwood... for all I know, they call it "Michael" in Thailand. That's the problem with common names. I agree with you about the whole "American Imperialism" thing, though.
Sorry to bring up a very old thread. Is there a reason to keep one of these trees? My wife and I just bought a house with one of these in the back yard. It makes a terrible mess. It is a very big tree, and over the last 2 months has had enough seed pods to break off two large branches, so it poses a threat to any thing under it(myself, kids, dogs) I just want to make sure there is not a reason to keep it before I have it removed.
Hi Kasey! As wcutler mentioned, this tree is pretty much undesirable. I would get rid of it and plant an attractive native. :)
