Wednesday, January 16, 2019

A New Friend to Introduce

Today we have a guest post from Sharon Schultz recounting her visit to the
Edinburgh Botanical Garden and a fascinating tree she found there.

Edinburgh Botanical is an outstanding Botanical garden in the heart of the Scottish city. Established in 1670, the garden has outgrown a number of locations and now resides on 70 acres - a veritable garden oasis. I visited the garden this past fall and want to introduce you to a friend I met there.


Picture tall, not-so-dark and definitely handsome....and a bit whimsical. Meet Pterocarya fraxinifolia or more affectionately known as Caucasian Wingnut - not because it is white but because it comes from the Caucasian area which includes Persia, Armenia, Ukraine and Turkey.


This tree is stunning with a gnarly but solid trunk, weeping branches and light-green long narrow leavelets. In September, when I saw it, there were still a multitude of winged nuts on hanging tresses over 10 feet long.
Standing under the canopy of this tree was magical. A palm on the bark, a rustle of the leaves and a swoosh of the tresses of wingnuts and we were friends.


So if you happen to be in Edinburgh, drop by the garden and say Hi from me.
I would love to see one in flower someday so if you know of one closer to home, let me know.

courtesy Oregon state university


http://www.tree-guide.com/caucasian-wingnut


http://www.tree-guide.com/caucasian-wingnut
www.vdberk.com/trees/pterocarya-fraxinifolia/
Editor's Note:
This tree can be seen at the corner of Comox and Chilko St (West End) Vancouver, it is laden with foot long catkins seed stems in June.
It tolerates a variety of growing conditions and can withstand drought and flood. It does not like wind and  frost can discolour the leaves so a sheltered spot is recommended.
Both Sharon and I have searched for a retailer without success, any leads are most welcome.

Info on Edinburgh Royal Botanical Garden Edinburgh here

Upcoming guest post: A visit to Monet's garden by Judy Youngman.
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4 comments:

  1. AnonymousJanuary 16, 2019 at 9:59 PM

    Thanks Sharon and Sue. Must check out this tree in the West End and hopefully in Edinburgh on my next trip to Scotland....... Joyce R.

    ReplyDelete
  2. LauretteJanuary 17, 2019 at 9:20 AM

    Very handsome interesting tree. Thanks for introducing us. I'll be on the look out for it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. pr garden clubJanuary 17, 2019 at 10:06 AM

      It would be nice if we could find one.

      Delete

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