This is a journal of my vegetable gardens. Skippy was my first dog and he thought the garden was his, even though I did all the work. Now Suzie and Charley follow in his footsteps. We're located near Boston (USDA zone 6A). I have a community plot, a backyard vegetable garden, fruit trees, berry bushes, chickens, and bees. I use sustainable organic methods and do my best to grow all of my family's vegetables myself.
peas planted!
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Friday, October 16, 2009
what is this?
This tree (or a large bush) grows along the path Skippy and I take to the swimming hole. I've often wondered what it is. Does anyone know? The leaves remind me of a chokecherry, but these fruits are very unusual.
There's a pretty good tree identification thingy at arborday.org (I've run partway thru it, but there are some questions I can't answer by looking at the pictures).
Hearts a Bustin' shell looks spiny and ours is smooth? It seems that maybe the shell color will change from white to pink (I'll watch), or that there is color variation.
"The fruit of the eastern wahoo is a smooth reddish to pink four-lobed (sometimes one or more of the lobes aborte) obrhombic capsule, up to 1.7 cm in diameter. The capsule opens along the lobes, exposing the seeds that are covered by a bright red fleshy aril. The seeds (sans aril) are orange, glabrous, ellipsoid, 7.0 to 11.0 by 4.0 to 5.5 mm, glabrous."
It's a euonymus! If you care to compare, there are many, many varieties in the Arnold Arboretum in Jamaica Plain.
ReplyDeleteThere's a pretty good tree identification thingy at arborday.org (I've run partway thru it, but there are some questions I can't answer by looking at the pictures).
ReplyDeleteI think its a native euonymous! An eastern wahoo. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI would also say it's a euonymus - there are quite a few ornamentals so there are quite a number of species to chose from!
ReplyDeleteLooks like Euonymus--not sure if it is a native species though. The SE one, "hearts a bustin" has orange seeds inside a pink shell.
ReplyDeleteHearts a Bustin' shell looks spiny and ours is smooth? It seems that maybe the shell color will change from white to pink (I'll watch), or that there is color variation.
ReplyDelete"The fruit of the eastern wahoo is a smooth reddish to pink four-lobed (sometimes one or more of the lobes aborte) obrhombic capsule, up to 1.7 cm in diameter. The capsule opens along the lobes, exposing the seeds that are covered by a bright red fleshy aril. The seeds (sans aril) are orange, glabrous, ellipsoid, 7.0 to 11.0 by 4.0 to 5.5 mm, glabrous."
I am just SO impressed by the feedback here. Thanks! I've often wondered what this tree/bush is.
ReplyDeleteno idea but it reminds me of your popcorn
ReplyDeleteYes. It does look like popcorn.
ReplyDelete