What kind of tree is this?

[Judy G. Russell]

Anybody know? It's awfully nice... and I may need to take one tree down (and am thinking of this as a replacement).

[ktinkel]

Anybody know? It's awfully nice... and I may need to take one tree down (and am thinking of this as a replacement).I believe it is a dogwood. It is one of the loveliest spring-blooming trees I know — because the leaves are slower to emerge, and because they stand off from the branches, the flowers seem to be floating in air.

The trees have a nice shape, though you might have to help them when young. It is the state flower of North Carolina and Virginia, maybe other states. It is also being attacked by some nasty; this has been going on since the 1970s, so perhaps there are some resistant varieties.

Here is one writeup on dogwoods (http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.floridata.com/ref/C/images/corn_fl7.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.floridata.com/ref/C/cornus_f.cfm&h=280&w=300&sz=11&tbnid=fCNxvSgkLLgKAM:&tbnh=108&tbnw=116&prev=/images%3Fq%3Ddogwood%2Bflower&start=1&sa=X&oi=images&ct=image&cd=1).

[Judy G. Russell]

I believe it is a dogwood.I'm pretty sure it's not a dogwood. I have a dogwood in my side yard and the flowers are very different:

http://www.pbase.com/jgr/image/1765690/medium.jpg
I'm thinking maybe a pear tree?

[jdh]

Looks like something in the rose family. Pear is in the rose family. Also in rose family:
apple
hawthorns
quince
peach
apricot
cherry
strawberry
raspberry
serviceberry, juneberry, shadbush (a tree)
scotchcaps
etc.

[ktinkel]

I'm pretty sure it's not a dogwood. I have a dogwood in my side yard and the flowers are very different:

http://www.pbase.com/jgr/image/1765690/medium.jpg
I'm thinking maybe a pear tree?Oh, then maybe it is a Bradford Pear? That is a tough street tree (wholly ornamental, as far as I know). Most fruit trees are not in flower at this point in the northeast, but the Bradford often puts out flowers before the leaves are fully developed.

But they are usually dense and compact. Your image showed a more sprawly tree.

[sidney]

Oh, then maybe it is a Bradford Pear?

Definitely not a dogwood, which has 4 petals not five.

Here's a picture of bradford pear blossoms (http://flickr.com/photos/mightyquinninlex/48255619/) on flickr. Some other pictures with the same tags might be useful to compare. I'm not sure if Judy's shows the same dark stamens as these, but it does look like a pear. Compare with apple blossoms (http://flickr.com/photos/84516665@N00/411736411/).

-- sidney

[Judy G. Russell]

Oh, then maybe it is a Bradford Pear? That is a tough street tree (wholly ornamental, as far as I know). Most fruit trees are not in flower at this point in the northeast, but the Bradford often puts out flowers before the leaves are fully developed.If it's one used on streets, that could be it -- the whole street was lined with these trres.

But they are usually dense and compact. Your image showed a more sprawly tree.Err... this was just one of many. And, of course, the closest and easiest to photograph.

[Judy G. Russell]

Here's a picture of bradford pear blossoms (http://flickr.com/photos/mightyquinninlex/48255619/) on flickr. Some other pictures with the same tags might be useful to compare. I'm not sure if Judy's shows the same dark stamens as these, but it does look like a pear. Compare with apple blossoms (http://flickr.com/photos/84516665@N00/411736411/).Egads. They do look alike, don't they? I'll have to check when I get home and see if I got a better shot, or one where the bark of the tree is clear.

[ndebord]

Anybody know? It's awfully nice... and I may need to take one tree down (and am thinking of this as a replacement).

Judy,

The Bradford Pear has a compact root system, a plus in densely populated areas (unlike my Maple which has defnitely killed my sewer to the street.)

SIGH

[Judy G. Russell]

The Bradford Pear has a compact root system, a plus in densely populated areas (unlike my Maple which has defnitely killed my sewer to the street.)That's good. I hadn't thought about the sewer and I should -- I end up putting special root-killing gunk down mine every year plus having it roto-"root"ered out periodically (pun intentional).

[jdh]

Beat global heat with cool local gelati, farmers say
http://channels.isp.netscape.com/tech/story.jsp?floc=FF-RTO-romta&idq=/ff/story/0002%2F20070423%2F1248718225.htm&sc=romta

DH

[Judy G. Russell]

Beat global heat with cool local gelati, farmers say
http://channels.isp.netscape.com/tech/story.jsp?floc=FF-RTO-romta&idq=/ff/story/0002%2F20070423%2F1248718225.htm&sc=romtaSounds scrumptious.

[Judy G. Russell]

I'm not sure if Judy's shows the same dark stamens as these, but it does look like a pear.It did in another shot. It seems that not only do the blossoms open but the anthers at the end of the stamens do too.

[jdh]

Sounds scrumptious.
Oops. May have to make exceptions to the idea of local produce exclusively. I forgot. Chocolate beans don't grow in New Jersey.

DH

[Judy G. Russell]

Chocolate beans don't grow in New Jersey.Ulp... yeah, gotta have an exception for that. And coffee.

[ktinkel]

Definitely not a dogwood, which has 4 petals not five.

Here's a picture of bradford pear blossoms (http://flickr.com/photos/mightyquinninlex/48255619/) on flickr. Some other pictures with the same tags might be useful to compare. I'm not sure if Judy's shows the same dark stamens as these, but it does look like a pear. Compare with apple blossoms (http://flickr.com/photos/84516665@N00/411736411/).I think you’re right — it is a pear. And a Bradford would be a good choice, if only because it is a fast grower well suited to urban life. (But it doesn’t live long, maybe 30 years. And doesn’t provide fruit as a real pear tree would.)

[Judy G. Russell]

a Bradford would be a good choice, if only because it is a fast grower well suited to urban life. (But it doesn’t live long, maybe 30 years. And doesn’t provide fruit as a real pear tree would.)Considering that I will not be in this house one minute after my financial advisor says I can retire, I'm not going to worry about the life of the tree. I can't retire for at least another 7.5 years, which makes it worth doing some fix-ups and landscaping for my own benefit, but it won't be longer than 9 years, which makes putting too much money into any of the same silly.

[ndebord]

That's good. I hadn't thought about the sewer and I should -- I end up putting special root-killing gunk down mine every year plus having it roto-"root"ered out periodically (pun intentional).

Judy,

Do think about the sewer. That darn Maple is a fracking weed. They dug out the trap yesterday and the roots are going all the way back into the house. The tree has to come down (my expense), a landscaper is going to have to pull the stump and then there's the plumber: my old clay pipe runs out to the middle of the street and the main is 13 feet down. <sigh>

To add insult to injury, I have to replant a new tree for a 100 bucks after they pull the old one. The good news is I can tell them to plant it somewhere else (I suggested the Mayor's house).

;-)

[Judy G. Russell]

To add insult to injury, I have to replant a new tree for a 100 bucks after they pull the old one. The good news is I can tell them to plant it somewhere else (I suggested the Mayor's house).ROFL!!! Great line!

[Lindsey]

Oh, then maybe it is a Bradford Pear?
That was my first thought -- they're just about the first trees in bloom here in the spring. I had never looked at the blossoms up close, but seeing the picture Sidney linked to, it certainly looks like something closely related if it's not a Bradford. But they're popular street trees, as you said, so I think the odds are good that's exactly what it is.

--Lindsey

[Lindsey]

If it's one used on streets, that could be it -- the whole street was lined with these trres.
Bradfords make nice ornamentals -- the leaves in the fall are gorgeous. (See the writeup here (http://www.floridata.com/ref/p/pyru_cal.cfm).) The trees themselves grow to a lovely shape, too. Long-term they're problematic, because the branches are not very strong and are quick to break in a storm. Also, as Kathleen says, they're not long-lived. But that's not much of a concern for your purposes.

There were Bradfords all down 5th street along the convention center in downtown Richmond, but they've recently done some extensive rennovation in that area, and I'm not sure whether or not the trees are still there.

--Lindsey

[Judy G. Russell]

Bradfords make nice ornamentals -- the leaves in the fall are gorgeous. (See the writeup here (http://www.floridata.com/ref/p/pyru_cal.cfm).) The trees themselves grow to a lovely shape, too. Long-term they're problematic, because the branches are not very strong and are quick to break in a storm.Hmmm... maybe I'll also look at the Chanticleer cultivar -- less prone to breaking branches, they say.

[Lindsey]

Hmmm... maybe I'll also look at the Chanticleer cultivar -- less prone to breaking branches, they say.
That sounds promising! And would probably lead to less cussing in the aftermath of another nor'easter!

--Lindsey

[lensue]

>Anybody know? It's awfully nice<

Judy, just back from our trip--this looks like a Bradford Pear to me--we had one in Maplewood NJ--now we have alot more flowering trees in our garden--here's a shot I just took today.

[lensue]

>That's good<

Judy, I wouldn't recommend a Bradford Pear--they grow fast but the main branches can break very quickly during a wind or snow storm--we know this from past experience.

[Judy G. Russell]

That sounds promising! And would probably lead to less cussing in the aftermath of another nor'easter!Please. More nor'easters we do NOT need!

[Judy G. Russell]

this looks like a Bradford Pear to me--we had one in Maplewood NJ--now we have alot more flowering trees in our garden--here's a shot I just took today.Gorgeous shot, Len. Your yard is beautiful.

Do you know anything about the Chanticleer cultivar? It's supposed to be less prone to the branches breaking. What I want is a smallish flowering tree (not a dogwood -- I already have one of those) that grows FAST. I'm only going to be in this house about 7 more years and I don't want to wait til I'm gone for it to be pretty!

[lensue]

>the Chanticleer cultivar?<

Judy, never heard that term before [found info and it seems to be a winner at http://www.greenmediaonline.com/treeofthemonth/pasttrees/0501_tom.asp but instead of the bradfords we have 3 wonderful aristocratic bears--they're blooming right now. Another tree to consider is the crabapple--there are many varieties but some of them are just wonderul! Both pears and crabs grow pretty quick.

[MollyM/CA]

Judy--

It probably won't matter to you if there are already Bradford Pears around you, but a lot of people think the blossoms smell nasty. That's the blossoms of whatever the variety is that's grown in my area, which could be quite different. I think they smell odd, rather like semen or a mare in heat, but don't find them all that objectionable. They don't bloom for very long here, but that's par for the Valley where it can be 40 one day and 90 the next, with gusty drying winds attacking the garden and orchard.

Among the prettiest spring-flowering trees we have are the pie cherries, which are self-pollinating and very pretty when the cherries ripen as well as when blooming. There's never a problem with fallen fruit around here -- the birds get everything we don't net, immediately, and some of what we do!

Mine are quite young -- the ones I had before made nice round-headed small trees, but my husband says they had an immense cherry tree in their Milwaukee back yard. I have English Morello and Montmorency --you can probably get Montmorency anywhere.

Pie cherries are quite good to eat when dead ripe, if you like your fruit a bit tart.

I'm thinking that if you already have a dogwood you might want to try for a flowering tree (or, is a shrub a possibility?) that would give you bloom when the dogwood is done. If there are any that would be hardy there -- the Chaste Tree is the only summer-bloomer in my yard that might do there. And the Buddleias, I guess. Both are happy to be multi-stemmed shrubs, but the Chaste tree will make a small tree if you can muster up the ambition to take out the suckers around the base. Shrubs have the advantage that --here at least-- they can be cut to the ground every once in a while.

PS: the pie cherries bloom late, later than some apples. I'd think there would be lots of flowering kinds (no fruit, double or pink flowers etc.).

[Judy G. Russell]

I'm thinking that if you already have a dogwood you might want to try for a flowering tree (or, is a shrub a possibility?) that would give you bloom when the dogwood is done. Actually the dogwood is a fairly late bloomer around here. The pears and cherries are already in full bloom, the dogwood is just opening now. Sigh... too many choices, too many decisions!

[jdh]

Actually the dogwood is a fairly late bloomer around here. The pears and cherries are already in full bloom, the dogwood is just opening now. Sigh... too many choices, too many decisions!
FWIW, for those who like color in winter, Red Osier is a shrub in the dogwood genus that is one of the few wild plants to provide bright color in winter in the north.

DH

[Judy G. Russell]

FWIW, for those who like color in winter, Red Osier is a shrub in the dogwood genus that is one of the few wild plants to provide bright color in winter in the north.Wow! I just went looking at the pictures and that bright red against white snow is something else! Not all that pretty in the spring but the winter color -- wow!

[jdh]

Wow! I just went looking at the pictures and that bright red against white snow is something else! Not all that pretty in the spring but the winter color -- wow!
I don't know about NJ, but here in FL, at least one of the local (or state) gov'ts gives away small native trees (and shrubs?) at a local spring festival and/or Arbor Day. Of course, I'm sure there are nurseries that sell Red Osier and other native woody plants too.

DH

PS
One of my favorite shrubs for northern cold season activity is witchhazel because it both flowers AND shoots its seeds in November (in Western NY anyway). The flowers are very inconspicuous but it almost brings tears to my eyes to see the last smile of summer so late in the year. You might want to wear eyeglasses if you go snooping around in a thicket of witchhazel in the fall ;)

[Judy G. Russell]

I don't know about NJ, but here in FL, at least one of the local (or state) gov'ts gives away small native trees (and shrubs?) at a local spring festival and/or Arbor Day. Of course, I'm sure there are nurseries that sell Red Osier and other native woody plants too.I've never heard of that kind of giveaway here -- too many nurseries would complain, I expect.

[jdh]

I've never heard of that kind of giveaway here -- too many nurseries would complain, I expect.

The trees are tiny and not potted, just bare roots, so not really any competition to nurseries.

When I was a kid, my Dad used to get hundreds of tiny pines wrapped in bunches from New York State gov't (I think) for very minimal price (or partly free?) to reforest some vacant land he owned. I think the main rule was that they had to be planted at least 75 feet from dwellings (and non-commercial use). However, the program I'm thinking of here in Fla involves only 1 or 2 tiny trees per person, I think, and no restrictions on location to plant. The trees I saw in Fla were between 1 and 3 feet tall.

Planting the baby pines in clayey soil in western new york in spring when the soil was moist did not even require watering them to get a good survival rate.

DH

[Judy G. Russell]

the program I'm thinking of here in Fla involves only 1 or 2 tiny trees per person, I think, and no restrictions on location to plant. The trees I saw in Fla were between 1 and 3 feet tall.There may be something like that around here but, if so, it's nothing I've ever heard of.

[Lindsey]

FWIW, for those who like color in winter, Red Osier is a shrub in the dogwood genus that is one of the few wild plants to provide bright color in winter in the north.
Oh, I think I have seen pictures of those in the catalogs. The wood is indeed a very bright red!!

--Lindsey

[lensue]

>the dogwood is a fairly late bloomer around here.<

Judy, yep, our dogwoods are just starting to open right now--even later are the kousa dogwoods--we've planted about 12 of them and they are IMO one of America's superb trees! We've been so busy with our pond!

[lensue]

>that bright red against white snow is something else<

Judy, there are yellow twig dogwoods too--we have them both! They're very strong and we keep having to cut them back! Regards, Len

[Judy G. Russell]

our dogwoods are just starting to open right now--even later are the kousa dogwoods--we've planted about 12 of them and they are IMO one of America's superb trees! We've been so busy with our pond!Mine just opened this past weekend and is in gorgeous full bloom right now.

[lensue]

>Mine just opened this past weekend and is in gorgeous full bloom right now.<

Judy we've got a lot of color in the garden right now--all our olga rhododendrons are open--beautiful blooms and the crabapples are open too!

[Judy G. Russell]

Judy we've got a lot of color in the garden right now--all our olga rhododendrons are open--beautiful blooms and the crabapples are open too!Unfortunately, my dogwood is white and my rhodie didn't make it. So I'm a bit low on color this year. I'm hoping to redesign the back bed for next year.