Unidentified Tree

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Phlox

Location: Washington, Southwestern

Posted: May-15-2005 at 8:17pm A friend of mine gave me some tree seedlings that she didn't know the name of and I didn't want to plant one in my yard till I know what it will do. So here goes a guessing game....

The tree she has was only about eight feet tall and knew not how tall it would get, was spread like a flowering cherry would do. It had already flowered so I don't know what color they had been. The leaves were a dark green, ovate I think and maybe slightly veined, smooth edged. She said that the birds love the seeds which were all over the ground. The seeds were in a bright pink pod that was between 1/4 & 1/2 inch across and in three sections with, (I think) two bright orange seeds in each section. Sorry, its a little hard to explain.

Its deciduous and like I said she gave me lots of seedlings, which I know could be a problem, but, my ground is easy to pull plants from when there tiny and its such a nice looking tree.

I know its not much to go on but I've looked and looked and haven't been able to come up with a name. A lot of books and googles don't describe the seeds and thats pretty much all I have to go on.

All help will be appreciated.

 

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Lisa A

Location: Oregon, Greater Portland Metro

Posted: May-16-2005 at 8:22am

It sounds like Euonymus, likely E. europaeus but possibly E. americanus.

There is a lovely example at the Jane Platt garden here in Portland. I recall asking the head garden about its seeding habits. I'll look through my notes and see if I wrote down his answer.

 

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Phlox

Location: Washington, Southwestern

Posted: May-16-2005 at 1:57pm

Thanks so much Lisa. It has to be one of the E. europaeus varietys cause it doesn't have warts on the pods. I will have to wait till one gets big enough so I can see bark and fall colors.

You've been a big help with both the trees, thanks again.

 

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bakingbarb

Location: Washington, Western

Posted: May-16-2005 at 8:27pm

Wow that is a pretty tree. I am amazed at all the variety out there that one never knows about but just chances upon!

~BakingBarb

 

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Fern

Location: Washington, Western Cascade Foothills

Posted: May-17-2005 at 9:27am

I have one but it never got the nice seed pods and then I found out you need two to pollinese each other. I got a small one but it is taking forever to grow because it's crowded by large shrubs. Maybe someday I'll get seedpods.

Fern

 

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Wanda

Location: Puget Sound corridor

Posted: May-17-2005 at 2:57pm

Euonymous europaeus have square stems - I guess that's why they were used to make spindles, hence the name Spindle Tree. So if your trees stems are not square, you have something else!