Tree of the day

caveman · August 18, 2019, 09:35:58 PM

It is a seedless variety but it is not a navel. This one has greening or huánglóngbìng as do most of the remaining Florida trees not grown in greenhouses or under protective mesh. This variety has an oval shaped fruit with small dimples or a roughness on the peel. It is a late ripening fruit (April,May or June) and is one of the best for juice. This tree still produces edible fruit but they are much smaller than they used to be.

These little bugs on this lemon leaf (short petiole, serrated, and pin holes), Asian Citrus Psyllids, have devastated Florida's citrus industry. Polk County, where I live, used to be the citrus capitol of the world. When I was a kid, every piece of land around that was not swampy had a citrus grove. Now I do not know of a decent citrus grove within 20 miles of my place. There are still some good looking groves in the east side of the county near Haines City or Lake Wales but the trees do not live long and need to be replaced often.

caveman · August 19, 2019, 07:52:59 PM

Well, Dang. I just spent 40 minutes writing a reply and posting a tree of the day and I guess I deleted it instead of posting - moron.

Yesterdays tree of the day was a Valencia Orange "Citrus sinensus v. Valencia". Just a little trivia- round oranges were first cultivated on the southern slopes of the Himalayan Mountains.

Today, while my daughter and I were driving the JD gator around getting dendro samples for my class we stopped in a hardwood hammock to get a pignut hickory and I noticed several "wild", volunteer citrus trees. Usually I find these in areas where Indians camped or the pioneer Crackers camped or homesteaded. When these are ripe and you stumble upon them, usually on a hot winter or spring day after walking way too far without any water, they look so inviting. Most that I have tried, even though I still will eat one occasionally, are beyond sour.

Today's tree is a reprehensible invasive species that was introduced from South America in the 1940's as an ornamental tree. It does have attractive red berries and bees like their flowers and it also makes good honey. Unfortunately, it displaces many beneficial native species. But wait, there's more. It is in the same family as poison ivy, poison sumac and poison oak. Quite a few folks have a really bad reaction to it after being exposed. Fortunate for me, I have never had a bad reaction form it. If any of you have driven on I-75 south of Tampa, you have driven by thousands of them.
What is today's tree of the day?

Looks like I got it this time and it only took 14 minutes.

samandothers · August 19, 2019, 10:40:42 PM

Quote from: curdog on August 16, 2019, 12:58:17 PM
Quote from: ljohnsaw on August 16, 2019, 12:47:21 PM
Looks like an oak and a pine... ;) :D
Winner, I made it too easy ;D

Too easy!?! Well I did get half of them!

caveman · August 19, 2019, 10:45:39 PM

Good eye. The background trees look like a laurel oak and a slash pine. The large tree beyond the citrus tree is a live oak.

The tree with the compound leaves is the tree that is yet to be identified.

DelawhereJoe · August 19, 2019, 10:51:26 PM

On my few trips down to Anne Maria Island I've seen your trees, but after driving for 15 hrs straight I wasn't trying to id trees at 65 mph. Your tree does look spicy though, I'll be heading down that way again come the new year.

DelawhereJoe · August 19, 2019, 10:53:05 PM

I don't play well with poison ivy, oak or sumac so I'm not touching that tree.

ellmoe · August 20, 2019, 06:24:58 AM

Often found growing with salt bush?

WDH · August 20, 2019, 07:50:24 AM

Is it poison sumac?

DelawhereJoe · August 20, 2019, 09:46:27 AM

Quote from: ellmoe on August 20, 2019, 06:24:58 AM
Often found growing with salt bush?

Your right it does pair very well with a Russian salt tree.

curdog · August 20, 2019, 12:06:29 PM

Lacquer tree?

Ljohnsaw · August 20, 2019, 12:25:44 PM

Quote from: DelawhereJoe on August 20, 2019, 09:46:27 AM
Quote from: ellmoe on August 20, 2019, 06:24:58 AM
Often found growing with salt bush?
Your right it does pair very well with a Russian salt tree.

Well, then I guess it is a pepper tree...

caveman · August 20, 2019, 12:54:51 PM

IJohnsaw is right, a type of pepper tree. Brazilian Peppertree "Schinus terebinthifolia". They are very salt tolerant and often displace mangrove trees along coastal areas as well as thrive in flatwoods and hammocks as long as the temperatures do not get too cold for them. I have seen them a mile or two south of my place. Another winter without a freeze and they may be a problem here.

https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/aa219

DelawhereJoe · August 21, 2019, 05:47:29 PM

Anyone have a tree fir today ?

Jeff · August 21, 2019, 08:31:42 PM

I can do. Should be easy. One moment.

Jeff · August 21, 2019, 08:36:29 PM

This yree was discovered in this less than optimal location, but I'll try to do what i can for it. I don't know of another for man miles of here.

Dan_Shade · August 21, 2019, 08:43:56 PM

I'm pretty sure that it's a tree.

Is it juglans nigra?

Dan_Shade · August 21, 2019, 08:45:46 PM

Juglans nigra?

Jeff · August 21, 2019, 08:51:16 PM

It is not walnut.

Magicman · August 21, 2019, 09:02:18 PM

I know what it is because I have seen it......but I ain't saying.

caveman · August 21, 2019, 09:39:28 PM

The leaves look like a walnut to me but the bark resembles some young Kentucky Coffee Tree samples I found. I would not bet my hat on being right on this one.

Ljohnsaw · August 21, 2019, 09:41:39 PM

Locust? Ironwood

Jeff · August 21, 2019, 11:06:01 PM

All no so far. I'm confident of the species. A friend did a positive I.D. for me a little over a year ago.

ESFted · August 22, 2019, 12:02:45 AM

Butternut - Juglans cinerea

thecfarm · August 22, 2019, 06:50:22 AM

I have 4 on my land too. But that friend of yours did not "plant" it for me. ;D In fact I picked up a few nuts from it the other day and will try to grow some trees from it. I mow around it now,so the nuts that fall can not grow.
Seem like only a few years ago you found that tree growing.