Tree Recognition Challenge #1

[British Red]

Okay, I'm doing this mainly for SOAR since he's laid up, but if you want to join in, feel free

I'll post up some tree pictures - often several different parts of the same tree. Some are native, some are not in the true sense. Some you should know, others are little less common (or a lot).

After a day or two (or longer if it hasn't been guessed) I'll post the answer along with some of the uses the tree can be put too.

Here's the first

The leaves

The bark

The seed pods (eventually lengthening )

Flowers resemble the candle flowers of a horse chestnut tree

Red

 

[david1]

looks like a bean to me

 

[Matt Weir]

Is it a Judas Tree Cercis siliquastrum Red?

 

[British Red]

No Matt, it isn't. To be honest the first one is a little challenging - shame eh?

 

[Toddy]

That leaf looks like my lilac bush. I'venever looked at the seeds though, it flowers above my head.....hmmm.

cheers,
Toddy

 

[Jodie]

looks like a bean to me

I see your point, it's the leaves isn't it? I'm not sure if they're big enough for the bean
tree I had in mind - catalpa can't-spell-the-last-bit. But that's my guess.

 

[weekend_warrior]

Is it Spindle?

 

[Matt Weir]

No Matt, it isn't. To be honest the first one is a little challenging - shame eh?

I have actually found what it is (IBT ) I found what I thought looked like it here so did a google image search an low and behold that exact same picture popped up linked to place not a million miles away

 

[British Red]

So go guess the other two

 

[SOAR]

It does look like Indian Bean tree.

 

[British Red]

Very good - going to have to pick out some tougher ones!

The leaves

The bark

The seed pods (eventually lengthening and becoming more bean like)

Flowers resemble the candle flowers of a horse chestnut tree

Correctly identified by Greywolf as the Indian Bean Tree Catalpa bignonioides

Tea made from the bark has sedative, laxitive and vermifugal properties and has been used in treating coughs, whooping cough and asthma

The wood has high shock absorbancy and lasts a long time in the soil - valuable as fencing material

:!: The roots are highly poisionous :!:

http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Catalpa+bignonioides

Red

 

[SOAR]

I made a spoon from this wood before, its got a weird green colour to it.

 

[Toddy]

Never seen one.....interesting though.

Could you add on to the others whether they're native or not?

cheers,
Toddy

 

[British Red]

Toddy,

I kind of struggle with the term "native" since everyone from the celts onwards has introduced species I guess this is as good a specie list as any

Alder
Ash
Aspen
Bay Willow
Beech
Bird Cherry
Black Poplar
Box
Common Oak
Crab Apple
Crack Willow
Downy Birch
Field Maple
Goat Willow
Hawthorn
Hazel
Holly
Hornbeam
Juniper
Large Leaved Lime
Midland Thorn
Rowan
Scots Pine
Sessile Oak
Silver Birch
Small Leaved Lime
Strawberry Tree
Walnut (non-native)
Whitebeam
White Willow
Wild Cherry
Wild Service Tree
Wych Elm
Yew
Acer campestre Field Maple
Alnus glutinosa Alder
Arbutus unedo Strawberry Tree
Betula pendula Silver Birch
Betula pubescens Downy Birch
Buxus sempervirens Box
Carpinus betula Hornbeam
Corylus avellana Hazel
Crataegus laevigata Midland Thorn
Crataegus monogyna Hawthorn
Fagus sylvatica Beech
Fraxinus excelsior Ash
Ilex aquifolium Holly
Juniperus communis Juniper
Juglans regia Walnut
Malus sylvestris Crab Apple
Pinus sylvestris Scots Pine
Populus nigra Black Poplar
Populus tremula Aspen
Prunus avium Wild Cherry
Prunus padus Bird Cherry
Quercus petraea Sessile Oak
Quercus robur Common Oak
Salix alba White Willow
Salix caprea Goat Willow
Salix fragilis Crack Willow
Salix pentandra Bay Willow
Sorbus aria Whitebeam
Sorbus aucuparia Rowan
Sorbus torminalis Wild Service Tree
Taxus baccata Yew
Tilia cordata Small Leaved Lime
Tilia platyphyllos Large Leaved Lime
Ulmus glabra Wych Elm

http://www.british-trees.com/guide/home.htm

Their working definition is post ice age and pre land bridge break - its as good as any I suppose. I tend to be interested in anything I see growing "wild" since focussing only on natives means I'm still confused by such trees as Elms (which of course still survive down here)

Red

 

[bushwacker bob]

It would be a better list if you included Ulmus procera

 

[British Red]

Hence my comment on being confused by Elms! However its not my list so........

 

[nicodiemus]

Do you think this is the same tree?

http://picasaweb.google.com/Nicodiemus/VariousDelhiShots2/photo#5016671525293855378

I saw quite a few of these in India, and wondered what they were.

 

[bushwacker bob]

The bark looks a little too fissured,but it is a distinct possibilty as the tree originates in India,hence its common name, Indian bean tree.
(I thought it was a squirrel in a football shirt)

 

[nicodiemus]

It might have been, they like their football over there. Not as much as cricket, but i don't think a squirrel would be seen dead in a cricket jumper.

 

[bushcraftbob]

awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!