Monday, February 8, 2010

February week 1

Wow, it actually seems like winter with two snowstorms in a row! Will we get a threepeat? First up in this week's plant retrospective are two trees (with similar latin names) I discovered on the Virginia Big Tree Database while researching plants to add to my new see how it grows map:

check out the thorns on this monster! It's a water locust near downtown Williamsburg (Gleditsia aquatica).
And this is the national champion water elm (Planera aquatica). It doesn't look all that notable, but no one's found a bigger one yet. It's on the campus of William & Mary near College Corner.
Elsewhere on the campus were these snow-covered windmill palms,
and this graceful elm,
I also snapped some pictures at the Lewis
Ginter Botanical Garden's Winter Sympoisum. The variegated plants really stood out, like this boxwood,
a Japanese Red Pine (Pinus densiflora 'Oculus Draconis')
and a Himalayan pine (Pinus wallichiana 'Zebrina').
Also eye-catching were this witchhazel,
this viburnum,
and these topiaries.
After the first day of the symposium I made a quick stop by Maymont where I grabbed some seeds off a parrotia (I'll never get around to planting them).
I also came a cross this Dr. Seuss-like tree, but I'm not sure what it is. Maybe a chaemacyparis? Can anyone identify it by the foliage? Update: Peggy Singlemann, Director of Horticulture at Maymont identified the tree as Incense Cedar (Calocedrus decurrens). Thanks!
You can see the rest of my February week 1 photos here.

7 comments:

Les said...

Its hard to tell on your mystery tree, but how about some type of Thuja?

How It Grows said...

Could be...

Jennifer G. Horn said...

When I used to work at the zoo, we'd use thorny honey locusts to give exhibits a more rough and wild look. The water locusts would be even better...

Unknown said...

It is a Calocedrus decurrens, Incense Cedar. Native to the pacific northwest.
Peggy Singlemann
Director of Horticulture
Maymont

How It Grows said...

Thanks Peggy!

zero said...

the last pic seems to be a dimwit old man with two wide eyes on his surprised face ;D is it?

How It Grows said...

Yes it is...it's my self-portrait.