Go sniff a Katsura!

[tomthetreeman]

I recently learned this at a Mike Dirr educational session at Blithewold Arboretum...

Katsura smell like Cotton Candy in the Fall! I think that he said the odor comes from the abscission zones when the leaves begin to drop. I have a Katsura in my yard, and I never made the association. Now that I know, I smell it every time I am near the tree. The odor is exactly like Cotton Candy!

So go smell a Katsura!

-Tom

 

[Gord]

Will do, just got to find one.

 

[overpaidmuniguy]

Nice tip, I'll try it too. My own favorite smell-identifier is Northern Catalpa, broken twigs smell like dirty ashtrays to me.

 

[guymayor]

so is that smell in the petiole all the time, or just when abcising?

tough ID trick to use if only for a couple weeks...

Hated to miss that talk; digital handout?

 

[tomthetreeman]

I think it is only while abcising... I can still get a faint whiff near mine, and all the leaves are gone, so I think it does indeed come from the abcission zone only, but I'm not 100% sure.

No handouts, digital or otherwise, sorry. Dirr likes to work in the moment. He did leave us with some Schmidt books with info on new cultivars, including Anthracnose-resistant London Planes, but that's it. Sorry!

-Tom

 

[chris_girard]

Tom, didn't we smell some Katsura last week at the MAA Rigging Workshop?

 

[tomthetreeman]

Yeah, there were a few around. I showed Micum from Cornerstone Tree; there was a small weeper in front of Rich's truck.

-Tom

 

[JDS]

Here is another fun trick that only fifty percent of the population should be able to do: break a twig of a black cherry (prunus serotina), and sniff. There is an odor caused by cyanide, which some people cannot detect.

Also break a twig on a silver maple (acer saccharinum). The odor is defined as "rank", but to me it smells like chocolate.

I am an assistant instructor for a woody plant identification class, and I get to learn all kinds of fun stuff.

 

[tomthetreeman]

Black Birch (B. lenta) smells like wintergreen chewing gum!

 

[moonfarm]

If you are really brave, go smell the fruit of a Gingko. I've been watching people walk past them for the last couple of weeks, most of them stop and check their shoes to see if they just stepped in something a dog left behind.

 

[Backyardboogie]

Ailanthus smells like peanut butter when you chip it

 

[Gord]

Magnolia has a great spicy sweet smell if you break a twig or chip it, one of my favorites. The evergreen species not so much.

Laurel always reminds me of cinnamon when chipped.

Douglas-fir is really variable but always nice.

True fir species, Grand Fir especially can be almost intoxicating in the spring time when the new growth is on, kinda of Vaporub-like.

 

[Sylvia]

I always get that instant "Christmas nostalgia" aroma
chipping both the true firs and Doug fir.

It is interesting, though, how many of these identifier scents revolve around food stuffs. Having chronic sinus issues I miss out on a lot of those handy identifiers. I have been told that the Ponderosa pine smells like vanilla but have never experienced it.

Sylvia

 

[JDS]

I was chipping Ailanthus about a week ago, I didn't catch the smell. Next time I will be on the "look out" for it.

Ginkgo does stink! When I describe the smell to classes, I always use the "dog poo" descriptor.

I love the smell of cedar, and chopping on those is my favorite (so far at least).

 

[JeffL]

One of my faves is Sassafras, the twigs smell delicious, and for some reason, the stumps smell like black licorice when you grind them! I dont like black licorice, but certainly dont mind the smell!

 

[adamj]

Honey locust smells like japeleno krunchers when you cut it with a handsaw.

 

[robinia]

Ribes alpinum is in full flower here. One of my favorite woody plant scents.
Smells like ice cream!