Trees from a distance

[robinia]

Wow, I've got nothing.

Are they oaks?

 

[trees4ever]

No to both of you.


Hint #1: This is probably one of the first, if not the first, tree to be brought under cultivation by man thousands of years ago.


Granted these trees in the photo have been neglected for decades so are rather rangy in habit now. But up close they're quite amazing.


Hint #2: A by-product of its 'fruit' is used in almost every kitchen around the world.


-Diane

 

[dylanclimbs]

Olea europaea?

 

[trees4ever]

[ QUOTE ]
Olea europaea?

[/ QUOTE ]

There it is!

While the cats are away (asleep), the mice will play!

Just kidding~

Actually, the ID difficulty is completely understandable as I don't think there are many olive trees on the east coast.

Also, these trees are over 40ft high and 30 ft. wide. Usually cultivated olive trees are kept at 20-25ft. for ease in harvesting.

Over 50 of them were planted along a 500+ft . perimeter. The homestead structure is long gone but the trees remain outlining the property boundaries (see attached photo).

These are probably the 'Mission' olive variety as they can reach 50+ft. high and handle temperatures down to 20-degreesF. They were widely planted in the 1700's and 1800's around California missions.



Dylan is up.


-Diane

 

[tomthetreeman]

Nice job! That is a cool looking tree, and although we don't have anything like that here, it sure does scream olive. Nice one.

-Tom

 

[dylanclimbs]

If someone can find a pic sooner, I've got to get ready for my wife's b-day party...I'm probably a goner for even typing so much. I've got a real stumper lined up for later though...I was only able to identify it because I chanced upon the i.d in a book I was reading for other purposes.

 

[dylanclimbs]

Sorry all, I still haven't been able to stop and take a pic of the stumper. Floor's open, I believe.

 

[opposablethumb]

Here is one from today's job - It's an impressive specimen...multi-trunked, as you can see, but at the base (not dbh) the trunk measured around 70" diameter. We pruned it for weight reduction as it is full of cracks/splits, and the root plate heaved several years ago...Still not sure why we didn't add cables, but what do I know...

Guess away!

 

[Frax]

Siberian elm? Ulmus pumila?

 

[tomthetreeman]

Looks like Silver Maple to me.

 

[JeffL]

Fine, I say red maple then.

 

[opposablethumb]

nope and nope and nope.

 

[tomthetreeman]

World's largest Mulberry?

 

[opposablethumb]

You're in the right family: Moraceae.

Otherwise, wrong again.

 

[JeffL]

Osage orange?

 

[opposablethumb]

Good man. Macluria pomifera. I had to look up the botanical name.

This tree was amazing. One stem propped by some 6x6's that the homeowner put in when the root plate started heaving a while back. Cracks all over the place. It was covered in a tremendous amount of sucker growth in the lower part of the canopy, maybe a response from the last time it was (over) pruned? Working on this tree made me wish I had 20 years of pruning experience to draw on, but my boss who I was climbing with walked me through most of it. While we were up in it, the neighbor stopped by to ask if we could save any pieces that would be suitable for him to make longbows out of. That doesn't happen to me everyday. Climbing it was pretty brutal - those thorns will bite you!

Sorry to talk your ear off, Treebuzz. Not many will tolerate someone jabbering on about how he spend the day cutting on an osage orange, so I gotta let it out somewhere...

 

[JeffL]

I wont bore you with my hawthorn climbing stories then.

Ill get some nifty storm damage pics tomorrow, otherwise the floor is open.

 

[tomthetreeman]

Osage orange makes sense, they always are loaded with cracks! Good clue, I should have been listening better!

-Tom

 

[opposablethumb]

Here's another. I've driven by it in the neighborhood for 3 years wondering what it was. Bossman finally solved the mystery for me. May or may not be as puzzling to you....Sorry for the poor lighting!

 

[tomthetreeman]

Cunninghamia?