Friday, December 23, 2011

HELP IDENTIFY THIS TREE

Unknown Tree
There are several trees on the property that I don't know what they are.  I've never been a good "tree identifier".  Most of the trees are mesquite, small, medium and large.  Then there are a couple of pines, an oak and a few others I know.  But now that we have the blog, I figured if I can't identify one, I'll just snap some pics and ask you all if you know what it is.


Here are some closeups.  As you can see, the Fall weather has turned some of the leaves a bright red, others are yellow and yet others are still bright green.  The tree needs a good pruning (when the time is right) but I'm not sure what else I need to do in preparation for Spring since I don't know what the tree is.  I have never seen flowers or any sort of fruit/berry/seed pod.  


It would be nice to know what they are so that I can research how best to care for them, including pruning, fertilizing, etc.

So, anyone look at this and go "oh, that's a ____ tree"?

Thank you in advance!

7 comments:

  1. I'm guessing it's a fruit tree! I'm trying to make out the leaf shape..first it looks like Pear, then Peach..oh heck! , Let it grow and then it will tell you :o)

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  2. Have you contacted your local ag extension office? They may be able to help with that as well as your spring garden plans.

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  3. You can take some of the twigs and leaves to your local agricultural extension or a nursery for identification help.

    Here is what I can tell you: the leaves are simple pinnate, oval to oblong in shape, smooth margins (outside edge of leaf), not lobed, the underside is smooth (no fuzz) and appear to be alternating in placement. The bark appears to be deeply furrowed and square plates.

    I think it is a Black Tupelo.

    http://forestry.about.com/od/forestphotogalleries/ig/Dormant-Winter-Tree-Gallery/Winter-Tree-Gallery.htm

    http://www.arborday.org/trees/whattree/easterntrees.cfm

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  4. Ginny - I wish it was some fruit of some sort, that would be awesome! But as far as we know, it's never fruited or even flowered. I'm not sure.

    Susan - Great idea, I think there is a county ag office nearby. Of course I could snap off a twig and take it to a local nursery, Houston has plenty of those!

    Tonya - Wow, I didn't even understand half of what you said, LOL! You know your tree biology, that's for sure! Awesome info. I'll let you know what I find out! And I have another tree or two I might share later on (I don't think they have leaves on them at the moment, ha).

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  5. Haha, yeah well I am a Chemist. So I am uber geeky. Kind of difficult to classify via blog but I can't wait to find out what it is. Please keep us posted on what you find.

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  6. It reminds me of a Bradford Pear tree in need of trimming, BUT you said you've not seen any flowers on it. In very early spring, Bradfords will become nearly white--covered in small flowers. They do not yield any fruit that I know of.

    Still, the shape of it looks like some type of ornamental fruit tree.

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  7. Anon - One of my best friends said the same thing. In fact, he found a picture online that looks almost exactly the same. In all fairness, it's possible I was out there after a blooming period. We closed after the Spring blooming season, and even though the property was owned by family friends, it's possible we were never out there in a bloom period to see it. I'm going to get a twig with some leaves and take it in. I'll keep y'all posted! And thanks for visiting!! Please come back!!

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