Help with a tree in Edinburgh Royal Infirmary please.

[Tantalus]

More than a few of these dotted around car park D while waiting for a friend visiting a relative.

About 3 metres tall upright trees. Didnt notice leaves folding when touched or presence of thorns. Took a leaf thinking I could look it up and ended up more than a bit stumped really.

As far as I can get is mimosa though they tend to be plants or shrubs not really trees, or acacia without any thorns

Any help much appreciated.

 

[Mesquite]

Have you got a picture of the actual tree itself?

 

[Myosotis]

Hello Tantalus, try and searching google for "Metasequoia glyptostroboides" see what you think.
Myo.

 

[Tantalus]

Fraid not, I did have a good look at it and assumed the leaf was distinctive enough to give me a good go at searching a decent tree ID site for it. Unfortunately I cant seem to find a "good" tree ID page.

Pretty sure it is not native though

 

[Tantalus]

Hello Tantalus, try and searching google for "Metasequoia glyptostroboides" see what you think.
Myo.

Awesome thanks, I might have to go with the Bald Cypress though, trunk and bark were much like the picture in this linky

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxodium_distichum

 

[Goatboy]

What's the undersides of the needles like? were there any cones on the tree? Could be a Tsuga (Hemlock tree) quite often used in amenity plantings. Have a wee look HERE.

 

[Myosotis]

Awesome thanks, I might have to go with the Bald Cypress though, trunk and bark were much like the picture in this linky

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxodium_distichum

You may be right, but it is unlikely that this tree would be planted in car parks. If the trees were only young it is unlikely that the bark and trunk would look like that of mature trees. With Taxodium distichum the leaflets on the leaves more often than not NOT opposite,whereas with Metasequoia glyptostroboides these leaflets are mostly opposite as in your picture. See: tree leaf. I'd still say this is Metasequoia glyptostroboides.
Regards, Myo.

 

[Tantalus]

What's the undersides of the needles like? were there any cones on the tree? Could be a Tsuga (Hemlock tree) quite often used in amenity plantings. Have a wee look HERE.

Cheers Goatboy, much more a decidous tree though. Usually the floppy top on the Tsuga gives it away.

 

[Tantalus]

Myo , yes just been comparing the 2 pages again

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metasequoia_glyptostroboides
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxodium_distichum

I think the Bald Cypress has leaves coming out the stems spirally

The leaves are borne on deciduous branchlets that are spirally arranged on the stem,

Which doesn't quite match my memory of the trees.

Dawn Redwood it is then Interesting little find.

 

[Myosotis]

Dawn Redwood it is then Interesting little find.

Cracking tree it sure is! One of my favorites

 

[Goatboy]

Cheers Goatboy, much more a decidous tree though. Usually the floppy top on the Tsuga gives it away.

If it's a deciduous needle bearing tree that'll bring the possibilities down to about 17 species and it's definitely not larch which cuts out about 13 of those leaving: -

• Glyptostrobus pensilis (Chinese Swamp Cypress) (It's also definitely not one of these.)

• Metasequoia glyptostroboides (Dawn Redwood)

• Taxodium distichum (Bald Cypress)

• Taxodium ascendens (Pond Cypress)

 

[Tantalus]

To be honest they struck me more as mimosa/acacia leaves than needles. Certainly lacking any of the stiff waxy layers that make things like pine needles so umm needly (? is that even a word?)

If I ever go back I shall take some real pics , but hopefully - being a hospital car park and all that - I will not be needing to return for a good while

Have asked a buddy who works for the local council though, and hopefully he can give me a definitive answer as well.

In the meantime , thank you all for your help , and here is a little more on Dawn Redwoods

http://www.botanic.cam.ac.uk/Botanic/Plant.aspx?p=27&ix=32&pid=2765&prcid=4&ppid=2765