Author Topic: Unknown South Eastern tree (Read 2143 times)

wills widow · « **on:** May 03, 2006, 10:11:58 pm »

Hey all. I have searched all my reference books but I cant figure this one out. I will post pictures in a few days if no one can help. I live in South Carolina and I first noticed these trees around February I guess. Back then they were leafless and had these globular orange berries about the size of a cherry growing on them. These berries grew in clumps. This was a real good indicator. Most were about thirty feet tall. For some reason or another I can just imagine this tree looking like something you would see in Texas. Its branches kind of grow up for the most part then scraggle out a bit. I have seen these trees in somewhat dry soils. Around some sycamore, cedar, and a wide variety of other trees. Now that they have leafed out. I noticed some small blue or white flowers on them. The leaves grow off the stem kinda like a locust tree. I think the leaves were lance shaped. I hope this description helps. Thanks for your time.

DanG · « **Reply #1 on:** May 03, 2006, 10:46:21 pm »

Hi, ww, and welcome to our Forum.

I'd really like to see some pics, but based on your description, I'll guess it is a Loquat, common name...Japanese Plum. That's just a guess, of course, but if I'm right, I'm gonna look really good here.

BTW, if the leaves are real big, like a Magnolia, I'm probably right. If not, I'll look like a total Donkey.

wills widow · « **Reply #2 on:** May 03, 2006, 10:53:35 pm »

Hey Dan, its not a loquat. I know my description isnt all that great so Ill break out the digital and get some pics up in a few days. Thanks for your help.

Tom · « **Reply #3 on:** May 03, 2006, 11:28:03 pm »

That description meets so many trees. It could even be Paw Paw. Pictures are definitely needed.

thurlow · « **Reply #4 on:** May 03, 2006, 11:35:41 pm »

Does it look like this.........

Texas Ranger · « **Reply #5 on:** May 04, 2006, 12:19:56 am »

Chinaberry?

wills widow · « **Reply #6 on:** May 04, 2006, 05:59:55 am »

no its neither chinaberry, paw paw, or the fruit shown above. These orange berries grow in clusters of maybe 5-10. Ill get some pics ASAP. This is driving me nuts. Thanks for your help.

ohsoloco · « **Reply #7 on:** May 04, 2006, 02:52:33 pm »

Don't know much about southern trees, but from the description if it were around here I would guess mountain ash.

Jeff · « **Reply #8 on:** May 04, 2006, 07:19:06 pm »

I thought I posted this morning, but I guess I didn't. I said almost exactly the same thing ohsoloco said. I can however go out in the yard in a minute and get some photos of newly emerged leaves of a mountain ash.

Jeff · « **Reply #9 on:** May 04, 2006, 10:00:44 pm »

Not a very good photo here, but this is the emerging flowers of mountain ash that will turn into clustters of orange berries that will drunken the local birds.

Complex leaf of the Mountain Ash

Young Tree. I planted this about 8 years ago. The first 6 years it must have been working on putting down roots in our sandy heavily graveled soil. Just the last two years it tripled in size.

LeeB · « **Reply #10 on:** May 05, 2006, 02:00:51 am »

Persimmon maybe? LeeB

wills widow · « **Reply #11 on:** May 05, 2006, 06:07:55 am »

Lee, that look similar???Look for pictures to be posted tonight between 8 and 10. Thanks for the help.

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #12 on:** May 05, 2006, 10:24:50 am »

Could be a type of service berry Amalanchier species , very similar looking fruit to blueberries, leaves are similar also, fruit is red when ripe. Or something else in the blueberry family is red huckleberry. High bush cranberry/or squash berry also, but the leaves are maple-like and the fruit over winters on the shrub, flowers white. Sometimes you can get a wild one that is orangy-red in the fall colors.

I was originally thinking american or even showy mountain ash, but the leaves are compound. But the buds almost look purplish when they flush in spring.

Another option is the common elder that has purple flowers in spring very early before leaves, but leaves are compound like ash. There is red berried elder, but flowers are white. Break off a stem of this shrub and it is very pungent. Hard to believe you could make a decent drink from the berries of a shrub with such a 'terrible' smell.

Another flowering tree in the spring is black ash with purple pollen flowers, but the leaves again are compound. Seems all our wild shrubs and trees with purple are compound leafed.

wills widow · « **Reply #13 on:** May 05, 2006, 09:25:29 pm »

Alright. I have got picks up on the internet. I cant figure out how to upload them to my album. I did read the tutorial. Can I post al link or email them to someone. Thanks

sprucebunny · « **Reply #14 on:** May 06, 2006, 06:52:42 am »

Here's the pics from wills widow

thurlow · « **Reply #15 on:** May 06, 2006, 07:58:12 am »

Sugarberry, maybe; just guessing. Fruit is usually purple, 'though my field guide says it can be orange/red.

Texas Ranger · « **Reply #16 on:** May 06, 2006, 08:15:33 am »

I am at the point of saying it is not a native tree. Pepper tree is close, but not the right leaves.

Tom · « **Reply #17 on:** May 06, 2006, 11:26:17 am »

My Grandmother had a large shrub that looked like that in Ft. Pierce. She would tell the story of a missionary that she knew who brought it back from South America because of the berries, which the birds loved. I wish I know what the name of her shrub was, but, no one, back then knew. The berries were fleshy and full of small seeds.

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #18 on:** May 06, 2006, 03:23:55 pm »

I would have to say that it's a non native. It's probably something in the poisen ivy or sumac family, maybe even the hoptree family (probably a stretch). A close-up, focused, picture of the flowers would help.

wills widow · « **Reply #19 on:** May 06, 2006, 05:29:27 pm »

Thanks for posting the pictures. And thanks for the help. The thing is these trees are everywhere. Maybe I need to contact my local forestry department.

Riles · « **Reply #20 on:** May 06, 2006, 06:10:51 pm »

http://www.cnr.vt.edu/dendro/dendrology/syllabus/factsheet.cfm?ID=328

Ianab · « **Reply #21 on:** May 06, 2006, 06:25:42 pm »

I agree, we call it Bead Tree here, but book says Chinaberry is another name.
There are about 10 actual species that are hard to tell apart, but it's commonly grown here as a garden or street tree. Originates in India / central china. The berries are poisonous but the wood is a nice red colour and can be used for woodworking if you can find a tree big enough.

Cheers

Ian

Tom · « **Reply #22 on:** May 06, 2006, 06:27:11 pm »

Riles,

I was jumping all over China Berry too, until I saw the picture of the leaf he submitted.
Sure fooled me. I feel so stupid.

woodbowl · « **Reply #23 on:** May 06, 2006, 06:28:43 pm »

China Berry ...........us kids use to put the berries in the hollow of an elderberry branch, use another stick to pressurize the chamber and pop it out like a gun. It will draw a big red whelp and make a 15 year old yungen hollar ........ MAMA.

The wood saws fairly nice and looks a lot like Mahogany.

wills widow · « **Reply #24 on:** May 06, 2006, 06:31:02 pm »

Riles, you da man. Thanks for all yalls help.

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #25 on:** May 06, 2006, 07:40:41 pm »

Good detective work Riles. I had no clue. -16 C winters keeps that stuff at bay.

I can't think of any doubly compound trees or woody shrubs in my area. Apparently, it is in the mahogany family as woodbowl suggested from what I have been able to google.

Riles · « **Reply #26 on:** May 06, 2006, 09:35:23 pm »

Timing is everything. You guys keep giving me the tree the dendro professor gave me the previous day, and I'll continue to amaze you with my short term memory. Worked great with the devil's-walkingstick too.

Come to think about it, Sprucebunny posted a question about red heart right after I had that in Pathology. Somebody out there is psychic.

LeeB · « **Reply #27 on:** May 06, 2006, 11:44:56 pm »

Another name for it is soap berry. the indians in the southwest used to use the berries to wash with. It looks like Mahogany because it is actualy a member of the mahogany family. The berries look like they over wintered. LeeB

Texas Ranger · « **Reply #28 on:** May 07, 2006, 10:22:18 pm »

DanG smart Alec college kids, had me fooled, I was working on Zumi crab apple, but the leaves were wrong.

Good shot, Riles.

Pullinchips · « **Reply #29 on:** May 12, 2006, 11:32:31 am »

Beat to the punch as i just came across the post. Those grow between all my fields in lancaster county. They are china berry and is in the mahogany family. But this has already been said and solved.

-Nate

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Author Topic: Unknown South Eastern tree (Read 2143 times)