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Trees
Dec 7, 2015 9:49:21 GMT
Post by tod2 on Dec 7, 2015 9:49:21 GMT
Acacia xanthophloea - Fever Tree The 2010 tree of the year was the well known Acacia xanthophloea. This spectacular tree with it’s straight, luminous yellow trunk and its feathery, spreading canopy is rightfully one of our most popular indigenous trees. The common name, Fever tree, comes from the early settlers who thought the trees were responsible for the fever they contracted when they were in the vicinity of these trees. In fact, it was malaria that they contracted from the mosquitoes that lived in the swampy areas where the trees are commonly found. As the leaves are very small, this is one of the few trees where photosynthesis takes place in the bark. Another interesting feature is the development of a “sacrificial limb” which appears to be a dead branch, but which the tree uses to deposit unwanted nutrients from the soil. Many bird species and especially weavers, use the Acacia xanthophloea for building their nests as the thorns offer protection from snakes while the seed pods and seeds are eaten by a variety of larger wildlife. Various stages of growth: Young saplings approx. 5 years old Unknown age but could be 10-12 years old. Close up of the trunk and the beautiful patternation. I drive past this mature tree several times a day. I remember when it was first planted about 25 years ago. The roots disturbed the tarred road and they were removed but it has not affected the tree in the least.
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Trees
Dec 10, 2015 3:22:45 GMT
Post by bixaorellana on Dec 10, 2015 3:22:45 GMT
Those trunks are truly beautiful and your first photo is brilliant, Tod. I would just like to point out that my tree shown here is almost eggzackly like the Galeries Lafayette tree Mossie shows in his latest Paris thread.
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Trees
Dec 10, 2015 14:13:00 GMT
Post by tod2 on Dec 10, 2015 14:13:00 GMT
Yes darn close Bixa Good for you to even have a tree. I'm afraid we have not had a tree since my son turned 4. I do think I might go out and buy one for my grandsons sake, although they have a tree in their own home. I saw one recently that spewed snow out of the top which fell gently on the plastic leaves.....
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Trees
Dec 10, 2015 14:50:40 GMT
Post by bixaorellana on Dec 10, 2015 14:50:40 GMT
Thanks, Tod! I am very proud of that little tree because it hitchhiked into my yard in a bag of potting soil. It was the teeniest, almost microscopic tuft, but I spied it & recognized it as some kind of evergreen. That was less than 2 years ago, and look at it now! I never decorate for Christmas, but this year I decked out two trees.
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Post by htmb on Dec 10, 2015 17:12:48 GMT
It's a pretty little tree, Bixa.
My cut tree has turned out nicely. My son added lots of little lights and my granddaughters hung the ornaments. My house now smells like evergreen, so I'm happy I got the tree. S will be home before Christmas and it was her big wish. I just hope it stays fresh looking for awhile.
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Trees
Dec 13, 2015 8:29:25 GMT
Post by tod2 on Dec 13, 2015 8:29:25 GMT
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Trees
Dec 14, 2015 9:35:23 GMT
Post by onlyMark on Dec 14, 2015 9:35:23 GMT
I have now been the lucky recipient of a load of seeds, an early Christmas present, of the fever tree, the boabab and the umbrella thorn. I will treat them like my babies and nurture them through their difficult first years.
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Trees
Dec 14, 2015 17:02:08 GMT
Post by bixaorellana on Dec 14, 2015 17:02:08 GMT
Htmb, I wish my house smelled like evergreen! I have seen no live-tree lots where I could even get a little branch to bring home. I did buy some eucalyptus -- that kind you get at craft stores -- to give an approximation of the Christmas scent to the house. That is really exciting, Mark! "Somewhere in Spain, a bit of Africa thrives."
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Trees
Dec 15, 2015 12:32:49 GMT
Post by tod2 on Dec 15, 2015 12:32:49 GMT
Bixa - I am hoping that will be true one day and would even like it to be true in Mexico.....let me know if you want to give it a go. I don't have anymore seeds with me now but will be heading back to Kruger sometime in the early part of the year. I did offer some of them to MickCactus but he says Kew are too strict with what they will accept. They are Bona Fide seeds in packets with instructions.
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Trees
Jan 12, 2016 14:51:31 GMT
Post by onlyMark on Jan 12, 2016 14:51:31 GMT
Elche/Elx, south east Spain. Site of one of the largest palm groves in the world.
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Trees
Feb 8, 2016 10:50:04 GMT
Post by Deleted on Feb 8, 2016 10:50:04 GMT
strange fruit
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Trees
Feb 16, 2016 21:08:26 GMT
Post by amboseli on Feb 16, 2016 21:08:26 GMT
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Trees
Feb 21, 2016 21:01:44 GMT
Post by mich64 on Feb 21, 2016 21:01:44 GMT
The woodpeckers have fed well this winter. While beautiful, they remind us to pay attention to the health of the trees surrounding our home.
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Trees
Feb 21, 2016 22:12:38 GMT
Post by htmb on Feb 21, 2016 22:12:38 GMT
Mich, it looks like a great place for birds to feast. Is that tree anywhere near your house?
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Trees
Feb 22, 2016 0:15:46 GMT
Post by mich64 on Feb 22, 2016 0:15:46 GMT
Yes, the little birds have been feeding on it all winter, especially after the woodpeckers take off! This tree is about 75 feet from my deck on the side of our house but on my neighbors property, so it will be up to them how to treat the tree.
Today I tried to take photos of a tree that is behind our house that is not doing very well, but could not get to it. I will try again tomorrow from a different position. We will have to have that tree looked at, if it were to fall, it would hit the house. We prefer to have limbs removed to try to keep trees healthy and to give them a longer life.
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Trees
Feb 22, 2016 5:57:52 GMT
Post by bixaorellana on Feb 22, 2016 5:57:52 GMT
Nice picture, Mich. I can see two well-defined holes.
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Trees
Feb 23, 2016 1:30:10 GMT
Post by mich64 on Feb 23, 2016 1:30:10 GMT
This is the tree behind the house, I think they are both yellow birch.
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Trees
Feb 23, 2016 1:40:52 GMT
Post by mich64 on Feb 23, 2016 1:40:52 GMT
As I wrote yesterday, it is directly behind the west corner of the house.
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Trees
Feb 23, 2016 1:41:21 GMT
Post by htmb on Feb 23, 2016 1:41:21 GMT
They, at the least, need a little trimming up, it seems.
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Trees
Feb 23, 2016 1:42:14 GMT
Post by htmb on Feb 23, 2016 1:42:14 GMT
You sure have a pretty lake view, Mich.
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Trees
Feb 23, 2016 1:46:57 GMT
Post by mich64 on Feb 23, 2016 1:46:57 GMT
Thank you htmb, we love being out here. Upon inspecting the tree today (as best we could, too much snow to get up as close as we would have liked) it appears that at the fork it has also split and cracked downwards at least 10 feet. Sadly it will probably have to come down in the spring.
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Trees
Feb 23, 2016 1:49:35 GMT
Post by mich64 on Feb 23, 2016 1:49:35 GMT
I watched one of the birds make one of those holes the other day Bixa, it amazes me how strong their little beaks are!
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Trees
Feb 23, 2016 3:04:32 GMT
Post by bixaorellana on Feb 23, 2016 3:04:32 GMT
You would think they'd get terrible headaches!
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Trees
Feb 23, 2016 14:42:06 GMT
Post by mossie on Feb 23, 2016 14:42:06 GMT
I have seen an X-ray shot of a woodpeckers head which shows that they have a very long tongue which, when retracted into the mouth, curls round the brain and acts as a shock absorber.
Believe that and you'll believe everything I tell you.
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Trees
Feb 23, 2016 16:03:37 GMT
Post by bixaorellana on Feb 23, 2016 16:03:37 GMT
I believed it. Nature is strange.
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Trees
Apr 3, 2016 19:44:14 GMT
Post by mossie on Apr 3, 2016 19:44:14 GMT
An old willow tree which must have been chewed off by some animal at some time.
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Trees
Apr 3, 2016 20:08:09 GMT
Post by htmb on Apr 3, 2016 20:08:09 GMT
Mossie, that's huge! That's a willow?
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Trees
May 10, 2016 6:24:26 GMT
Post by bixaorellana on May 10, 2016 6:24:26 GMT
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Trees
Jun 14, 2016 23:09:05 GMT
Post by bixaorellana on Jun 14, 2016 23:09:05 GMT
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Trees
Jun 28, 2016 7:00:01 GMT
Post by bixaorellana on Jun 28, 2016 7:00:01 GMT
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