Comment

Comment by Joan Denoo on May 10, 2013 at 10:56am

According to Irish mythology, the Hawthorne is a sacred tree with an interesting dark side: bring a sprig of Hawthorne into the home and someone will die, some say mother will die. 

Irish native Hawthorn ... Crataegus monogyna .. Sceach Gheal

Irish myth + hawthorn tree

Hawthorn

Comment by Joan Denoo on May 10, 2013 at 9:55am

Exactly! All thos qulities are why I liked it so much. Like the poplar, the roots run far and wide, even into neighbors' yards. Bees and birds love it for the blossoms and fruits; The bees provide a nice sound at breakfast time when I have breakfast in the garden. It won't be easy to clean up the broken branches, and well worth the effort. 

How is yor energy, Daniel? Mine is utterly gone. My son picks up the slack, sometimes cheerfully. 

Oh, I can grab a photo because the "Link, photo movie, Text window" are here. They sometimes don't appear. Do you have that situation or is it my computer wanting to retire.  

Washington Hawthorne/bird feeding station 2011

Comment by Sentient Biped on May 10, 2013 at 9:06am

Another link from Washington State (King County) - now I'm certain you are right!  Looks like they are an introduced species here.  They consider this tree a weed.  However, short of any eradication efforts, I'll keep them.  They provide land stabilization near the creek, privacy, bird food, and fill a gap for pollen and nectar for honey bees.  

 

Image from wikipedia  looks just like it.  Thank you again!

Comment by Sentient Biped on May 10, 2013 at 8:58am

Chris and Joan, thank you for the identification!  I think you are right.  OSU link on Hawthorn species.   I havent looked for thorns yet.  It's mixed with blackberry so I don't venture into the thicket.  There are a lot of broken branches, which goes along with trees breaking in storms.

I will watch for berries this summer.

Comment by Joan Denoo on May 10, 2013 at 1:42am

Sentient, I don't know how to get my photo over here, but if you go to my post, Thumbnail

Comment by Joan Denoo on May 10, 2013 at 1:06am

I think you might be right, Chris. It looks like Hawthorn to me. When I was in Ireland, they were in bloom, a white blossom, and grew along hedgerows between pastures of sheep. They have needles and the tree is very brittle.
On returning home, I bought a Washington Hawthorn, with white blossoms and the birds loved it. The thorns were terrible, the berries and blossoms outstanding, and in one wind storm, half the tree fell and we tried to save it by bolting it together. It lasted about five years and then the whole tree broke and it is now my birdfeeder. Sprouds come up all around the ground with new trees and I just cut the roots. I don't have the energy to clean up after a fragile tree. But I do miss it, especially now, just before peonies bloom, the Hawthorn put on an elegant show.

Comment by Chris Breman on May 10, 2013 at 12:55am

I think a hawthorn. I cannot see much of the leaves but it's the right time. Hawthorn has got some family members that look almost the same, so if it isn't the one, it's the other...

Comment by Sentient Biped on May 9, 2013 at 9:39pm

Hi all,

Any ideas as to identity of this tree?  I don't know.  It reminds me of spirea, but much bigger.  There is a row of them on a neglected area on my property.  They are near a creek that runs in fall/winter/spring, dry in summer.  I think I see them growing wild in fence rows, so either native or feral.  These reach about 30 feet tall, have bark like cherries.  Wild, sweet, and tart cherry trees are all finished blooming here.  Tart cherries just barely.  This mystery tree just started blooming.  i'm not aware of fruit but might not have noticed last year.  The flowers have a musty/sweet scent, sort of like Bradford pear, but fruiting pears here are long since finished blooming.

 

Bees like the flowers, which is good. We seem to be in a minor nectar and pollen low until something else takes over.

Comment by Sentient Biped on May 4, 2013 at 10:14pm

This was lush growth a few days ago.  Then it frosted.  

 

Oh well.  Into every life a little frost must land.  I think they'll grow back.

I wouldn't like mice or rats in my compost.  I found a mouse nest in the well house.  Fortunately they ran off before I had to make a decision about eliminating them.  

Comment by Annie Thomas on May 4, 2013 at 9:18pm

I'm enjoying the comments about killing viruses in composts.  I like to add horse manure to my compost, as it really makes it cook. I am abandoning one compost pile as I have at least one rat living in there.  I'll set up a new one in a sunnier area and hope I have more luck.

It was too rainy and chilly for any naked gardening here today... maybe next week? ;-)

And Dominic that serpent gourd vine is incredible... it looks like fine lace.  I'm off to look it up!

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