Tuesday's Trees- Shagbark Hickory

This post needs to start with a song............. gotta love Gram Parsons and the Byrds.



I first came across the Shagbark Hickory, Carya ovata, when we were on our lot in South Carolina in April. I first thought there was something wrong with the tree as the bark was peeling or 'shaggy'. Oh silly me. This is why I need to read and study about different trees! (Remember all pictures can be enlarged by clicking on them.)



The Shagbark Hickory is monoecious. I think I have finally made this stick in my head....I see mono and know it means one or single so in my head I think the plant is of one sex....no no no!!!! Monoecious means-- mono (single) and oikos (house) (thanks Wikipedia and of course my MG handbook) Single house!!! Meaning the plant can reproduce because it only needs itself to pollinate. A nice web site with pictures of both the male and female blooms of the tree is from Iowa.

This tree is vary adaptable to light and soil conditions as well as a wide range of climates (zone). It seems from my reading that the one condition that is a factor in where you find hickories is rainfall/moisture. A great native tree with a food source for squirrels and chipmunks --it seems that deer are not attracted to this tree if there is other food available. In addition to the food source it is a nice shade tree, so I am hoping once our lot is cleared for house, well, and septic that some of the hickory trees are still there.

The leaves are large, toothed, pinnated with 5 to 7 leaflets. The leaflets are quite large. The Virginia Tech fact sheet has a good profile of leaves, bark, fruit, twigs, etc.




As I said the bark is the first thing I noticed with this tree...it stands out...literally.

The last reference I found that I wanted to share is from the National Forest Service. I try to only use references that are research based. In addition to facts about the Shagbark Hickory this paper has a chart to gage the age of this variety of tree. A great read.

Next time you are out in the woods, look at the bark and the large pinnated leaves, you may have a Shagbark Hickory!

Here is a nice picture of the fall color--



Next week's tree- Black Gum or Tupelo.

I Have A Little Friend

Sitting at my computer on Saturday morning I noticed something on the underside of the Epiphyllum oxypetalum right outside the door. A praying mantis!! Hurray! I like these insects, they are fun to watch, they eat other insects, and they look like tiny prehistoric creatures! Usually I have lots in the garden but haven't seen any this summer until now. Their egg sacks are most unusual-- they look like a small piece of dirty Styrofoam.

Let's Talk Turkey and August GBBD

A few of you know we headed down to our lot in South Carolina earlier this week to 'talk turkey' with a few of the folks in Greenwood. We bought a lot on Lake Greenwood last year. We have a builder and a landscaper and are talking to some dock builders. Next July we will move into our new home, our retirement home on Lake Greenwood. While driving through the community where our lot is located we came across more than a couple turkeys. More like couple dozen.... OR MORE!! They run when the truck comes close, so really nice clear pictures are in limited supply.

On our trip down we went over a suspension bridge on RT 295 south of Richmond Virginia. This picture is for CIO Photo. He had flying buttresses from Scope on his posting last week and it reminded me of this bridge.

Some sights in and around Greenwood... an old store near our end of the lake.


And an eatery that has great onion rings!!!


A trip down to the water's edge is a little easier on
the lot next to ours...ours is still very overgrown.


Other sightings on our lot...
this Phytolacca americana pokeweed is so bright, no wonder the birds love it!

And here is the dreaded Fire Ant --- not looking forward
to dealing with these guys!


We will be going to SC more often as the building begins. Will be keeping everyone updated as we move forward.

And now for Garden Blogger's Bloom Day for August. We are taking a mattress up to northern Virginia tomorrow, so I will add the link to Carol's site without the specific day's link.

This first flower is for Jen at Name That Plant. I bought this beauty earlier this summer. Rose of Sharon 'Blue Satin'. Hope it grows fast!

The mess I call my front yard......

A Lobelia siphilitica (Great Blue Lobelia) which is like a weed in my garden!


Confederate Jasmine Trachelospermum jasminoides is reblooming at this time of year. Hurray!


Finally showing some color is 'Black and Blue' Salvia guaranitica--


So Happy Bloom Day!!