Photos : Bur Oak Acorn

Bur Oak Acorn

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Trees of Legend : The Curtain Fig Tree

A few years ago I had the opportunity to travel through North-Eastern Australia. There are few places that I have traveled that rival the wild beauty of the Australian Rain forest. Along the course of my travels I passed through the Yungaburra National Forest where one of nature's ancient wonders dwells to this day.

The Curtain Fig Tree, Ficus virens, is intimidating in size and magnificent in detail. Born from a seed long ago planted in the canopy of another tree, the fig grew in size reaching its roots toward the earth. Eventually the host tree, burdened and buried under the fig, gave way and fell. The fig continued to grow upon the askew tree weaving its roots toward the forest floor.

It is a wonder to behold and I wish that I had a better camera at the time to properly capture it. As I recall, I was in such awe that I nearly forgot to take any photos at all.

I was impressed with the care taken in the protection of the tree. A raised boardwalk circles the tree at a close but safe distance. (safe for the tree anyway: no feet to compact the soil and no knives to carve into the bark.) The visitor has the advantage of viewing the tree from level ground making it very handicap accessible.

Photo : Black Walnut Fruit on Tree

Black Walnut Fruit on Tree without Leaves

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Photo : Black Walnut Fruit & Nut

Black Walnut Fruit and Nut

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Photo : Black Walnut Tree

Black Walnut Tree

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Photo : Loblolly Pine Needles

Loblolly Pine Needles

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Photo : Loblolly Pine Cone

Loblolly Pine Cone

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Photo : Post Oak Tree

Post Oak Tree

Photo : American Yellowwood Bark

American Yellowwood Bark

Photo : Loblolly Pine Tree

Loblolly Pine Tree

Photo : Post Oak Leaf

Post Oak Leaf

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Photo : Southern Red Oak Leaves

Southern Red Oak Leaves

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Photo : Winged Elm Bark

Winged Elm Bark

Photo : Southern Red Oak Bark

Southern Red Oak Bark

Photo: Japanese Zelkova Buds

Japanese Zelkova Leaf Buds

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Photo: Japanese Zelkova Bark

Japanese Zelkova Bark

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Photo: Japanese Zelkova Seeds

Japanese Zelkova Seeds

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Texas Arboreta and Gardens

Twenty new locations added to the Arboretum Map today. These locations focus on arboreta across Texas.


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Photo: Leatherleaf Viburnum Leaves

Leatherleaf Viburnum Leaves

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Photo: Japanese Zelkova Leaves - Fall Color

Japanese Zelkova Leaves in Autumn

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Photo: Thornless Honey Locust Tree

Thornless Honey Locust Tree

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Photo: Yaupon Holly Leaf

Yaupon Holly Leaf

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Photo: Yaupon Holly Leaves

Yaupon Holly Leaves

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Photo: American Hornbeam Bark

American Hornbeam Bark

Zadie E. Kuehl Arboretum Review

Zadie E. Kuehl Memorial Park
Location: 3065 Yukon Dr. Lakeland, TN 38002
Hours: 5AM-9PM
Contact Park: City Hall 867-2717, parks@lakelandtn.org

Date & Time Visited: Dec. 17, 2008 10:00 AM
Weather: Overcast & Chilly


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I stopped to visit the park on a cool December morning while traveling from Nashville to Memphis. The park is just a short drive from the Highway. On I40 take exit 20 (Canada Road) south, take a right onto Saskatoon Drive, then a left on Yukon Drive. The park is at the end of the residential street and you will need to pass through the neighborhood to get to it. There is a small parking lot where a handful of cars can park.

Due to the time of day and weather conditions I had the park all to myself. From the parking lot you can see most of the park. To the west of the parking lot there is a large playground.

A paved trail loops out from the parking lot and around the perimeter of the park. At the far end a picnic pavilion with a grill and tables sit on top of a low hill. At the bottom of the hill, a small bridge crosses over a dry and grassy drainage way.

I set out along the loop to check out the park. Most of the trees are quite young, but a few along the perimeter were mature. Near the pavilion a sign explains the tragic story of the park's memorial. I did not see any posted information or available maps on the arboretum, but each tree has a small sign displaying the common and scientific names staked in front of it. I have some concern with the sign just being staked in the lawn. Many of them already show damage and they could be easily relocated to incorrect locations.

The trail does not take long to walk and overall the park looks well taken care of and the neighborhood seems safe.

Observed Trees
Carya illinoensis - Sweet Pecan
Cladrastis kentukea - American Yellowwood
Fraxinus pennsylvanica - Green Ash
Gleditsia triacanthos - Honey Locust
Lagerstroemia indica - Crapemyrtle
Liquidambar styraciflua - Sweetgum
Magnolia grandiflora - Southern Magnolia
Pinus - Loblolly Pine
Platanus occidentalis - Sycamore
Quercus acutissima - Sawtooth Oak
Quercus falcata - Southern Red Oak
Quercus stellata - Post Oak
Taxodium distichum - Bald Cypress
Ulmus alata - Winged Elm
Viburnum rhytidophyllum - Leatherleaf Viburnum
Zelkova serrata - Japanese Zelkova

Pasture Hawthorn Bark

Pasture Hawthorn Bark

Photo: Mockernut Hickory Leaf

Mockernut Hickory Leaf

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A Guide to Growing Trees from Grocery Store Fruit

Background: Why all this fruit?

Every time we visit the grocery store we pass by shelves loaded with fruit from trees without considering why a tree bothered to produce that fruit. It is not by chance that many trees bear fruit. Fruit takes a tremendous amount of energy to produce for an organism trying to survive in a competitive world. Fruit is produced for one simple reason alone, reproduction. The plant's goal is to produce offspring.

The fruit's role in tree reproduction differs slightly from plant to plant, but generally there are two reasons for it. The first reason is to protect the seeds. Many seeds are not ready to grow the moment they leave the tree. They rely on the fruit around them to protect from drying out and exposure to extreme temperatures. The second and primary reason for fruit is transportation. Trees can not get up and walk around so they have to develop clever ways move their seeds. Fruit can act as a bribe to those who are mobile. It is a way to hire animals to do the moving for them.

Selection: Grocery Store Trees

A lot of the fruit that you find in the grocery comes from trees.

Apples, Pears, Peaches, Cherries, Nectarines, Plums, Oranges, Grapefruit, Tangerines, Lemons, Limes, Pomegranates, Apricots and others all come from trees and can all be used to grow trees. The grower should be aware that the fruit from a seedling will not be identical to the fruit that the seed came from, just as you are not identical to your parents. The grower should also be aware of the tree's natural growing climate. While some trees may require tropical conditions all year, others will need a cold season to go dormant. Do a little research on your fruit and check your hardiness zone. If you want to get serious about growing tasty fruit from seeds I suggest visiting NAFEX, The North American Fruit Explorers.

Process: Preparing the seed

I have used this method to successfully grow trees from apples, cherries, and a variety of citrus including oranges, grapefruit, limes, and clementines (most clementines are seedless, but occasionally you find one that is not). This is not the only method for growing fruit trees, nor is it ideal for all fruit types, it is simply a method that I have developed that works well for me.

Step One: Select the fruit.

Pick out a piece of fruit that is ripe but not rotten. I have had the best luck with growing organic fruit and fruit from the farmer's market, but any should work.

Step Two: Gather seeds.
Remove the seeds from the fruit. (Children should request the assistance of an adult when using a knife.) Take care not to cut through any seeds. Damaged seeds should be discarded. Don't forget to eat the fruit!



Step Three: Clean the seeds.
Using a clean towel wipe away all fruit debris and rinse thoroughly.


Step Four: Soak the seeds.
Pour a glass of warm water an allow the seeds to soak overnight. If possible place the glass somewhere that is warm but not hot. (I usually leave the glass on my desk under an incandescent lamp) This process helps to wake up the seed and alert it to changes in its environment, it also helps to soak away any remaining fruit.

Step Five: Clean the Seeds again

Remove the seeds from the glass and rinse with clean water. Cleaning the seeds is the most important step because any left over fruit will mold and destroy the seed.

Step Six: Plant the seeds and watch them grow

Plant the seeds 1/4 inch deep in clean potting soil. Keep the soil moist but not wet. Place the pot in a sunny window. If it is summer place it outside and provide shade from full midday heat. Do not let your seedlings dry out. Once they have sprouted they are very vulnerable and need time to establish their roots. A lot of the growth that is occurring at this time is below the soil, so do not try to transplant them right away. Some trees may take years before they start to produce fruit and some may never produce fruit if the conditions are not right. In the meantime learn about your plant and be patient, the reward of eating and sharing fruit grown from your own tree will be worth it in the end.

These are a few of the trees that I started last year. Right now they are over wintering under my AeroGarden lamp. Next summer I will repot them and move them out into the sun.

Photo: Slippery Elm Bark

Slippery Elm Bark

2009

Happy New Year
I am excited about where this next year will take us, we have already come so far. I have quite a few photos already lined up and a whole bunch of ideas and projects to share with you in the near future. Some of you may have noticed the new logo, it is part of the ongoing re-visioning of EarlyForest.Com. If you are not already receiving my feed I encourage you to join. It is a great way to keep up with new tree photos and information without visiting the website daily. As always I am open to suggestions on how to better provide you with the information that you are looking for. Please feel free to email me at Craig@Earlyforest.com

Shortleaf Pine Bark

Shortleaf Pine Bark