Our five acres are a gently rolling narrow strip of land, a fourth of which is covered by a mature stand hardwoods. I've slowly learned to identify the different species, which include sweet gum, tulip poplar, white and red oak, elm and willow oak. Willow oak is common around Charlotte, and is easily distinguished by its narrow, willow-like leaf. The central part of Charlotte is covered by massive willow oaks, many more than 36-inches in diameter, that are an impressive sight.
We also have dogwoods and Callery pears, a wild flowering pear that is mostly a nuisance, that light up the place in Spring, and persimmons that Ginger eagerly seeks out when the fruit is falling to the ground in the fall. There are a few wild cherries and a great many other species that I have yet to identify.
I have quite a number of one species scattered around the open areas, including the back yard, that I initially identified as ashes. The largest is about six inches in diameter and perhaps 20 feet tall, but many are two to three inches in diameter and 12 to 15 feet tall. I used an app called "TreeID?" for my phone that led me to conclude they are green ashes.
During my walks with Ginger over the summer, however, I began to doubt the original conclusion. And although multiple tries with the app led me back to ash each time, I remained skeptical.
The day after Christmas on my twice daily walk with Ginger, I stopped by the largest of my purported ash trees and looked closely with my surgically improved, cataract-free eyes and discovered a half-dozen pecans tucked into their open husks. My ash trees are not ashes at all, but instead are native pecans.
We also have dogwoods and Callery pears, a wild flowering pear that is mostly a nuisance, that light up the place in Spring, and persimmons that Ginger eagerly seeks out when the fruit is falling to the ground in the fall. There are a few wild cherries and a great many other species that I have yet to identify.
I have quite a number of one species scattered around the open areas, including the back yard, that I initially identified as ashes. The largest is about six inches in diameter and perhaps 20 feet tall, but many are two to three inches in diameter and 12 to 15 feet tall. I used an app called "TreeID?" for my phone that led me to conclude they are green ashes.
During my walks with Ginger over the summer, however, I began to doubt the original conclusion. And although multiple tries with the app led me back to ash each time, I remained skeptical.
The day after Christmas on my twice daily walk with Ginger, I stopped by the largest of my purported ash trees and looked closely with my surgically improved, cataract-free eyes and discovered a half-dozen pecans tucked into their open husks. My ash trees are not ashes at all, but instead are native pecans.
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