Plant Identification from Natural History Society Meeting

This will be somewhat wonky and a repeat for some plants.  The discussion added some information not previously mentioned.  I will keep the notes short, more info on the net.

Shiso was brought in from the edge of Towson High.  This has been seen along the south roadside on Cloverlea,  up the bank.  We were imagining fifty dollars a pound at high end oriental restaurants.  Now the discussion was its invasive nature and precautions about forage from the edge of fields that may have been sprayed.  There was only a small sample so could not crush for the smell but naturalist simply rubbed the leaf between thumb and finger giving some scent. The pictures are from the net since have not seen it this year.  From a safe area could forage freely if it is invasive.

We looked at a limb from the fallen tree on Rolandvue.  It was not completely characteristic but identified as a white mulberry, Morus albus.  It has alternate,simple, serrated, heart-shaped leaves with palmate veins radiating from the base. The base is equal or balanced on each side, not offset. The upper surface is shiny,looks smooth but has a little sandpaper texture. New growth of leaves is only on this years stems.  The difficulty was not having the usual mixture of leaf outlines, variability with mitten shapes. It was noted that the large trees will do this, and some trees tend toward one leaf type under stress.  One lesson is to look at multiple leaves, one leaf of thirty on the branch did have a mitten shape.

The white mulberry is also an invasive, the fruit is sweet and safe.  No definite information on mulberry and danger of dropping large branches.  Each tree has to be checked individually looking at the roots, the ground around the trees, evidence of disease, and presence of multiple trunks.  It can be hard to distinguish from the red mulberry without the fruit, plus they hybridize easily.

Getting really Geeky you can take a razor and open the pith of a twig,it was solid and white,with no compartments.

There was a Paw Paw leaf from a local park.  Leaves are large,simple,alternate,ovate tapering to the base smooth surface with prominent veins.  Leaves "smell like motor oil".  There are some in Lake Roland where they are protected by fencing.  That will be interesting, fruit is difficult since they have to be fertilized by another plant.

I would only know a button bush by the round prickly fruit, there is one in the nature garden at Riderwood School, none that I know of here.

We went through an entire dichotomous key, too detailed to get into, but if interested they suggested contacting the University of Maryland bookstore, they have a detailed Trees of Maryland book they run off for the students every year and will do extras. There is a simpler key for common trees in Maryland online.

I brought in a sample of beechdrops from the Malvern end of Rolandvue.  Not much new, but noted that it pulls very easily despite living off the beech roots.  They thought it may be living on the microbes around the roots and not the physical root, thus more loosely connected. They are the dark brown thin plants at the base of the beech trees, no chlorophyll.

There were sassafras leaves, we have these in a group north side of Rolandvue.  The usual discussion of tea from roots, root beer, but also that the leaves are used in Gumbo, might try a small sample. They have the usual leaf variability, three fingers to oval, only a few plants that do that, somewhat similar to the mulberry.  They prefer disturbed areas as a roadside, and are less appetizing to deer.

Finally there was a small specimen of another invasive, Japanese barberry, small green leaves turning to red, alternate thorns, dense foliage which causes high humidity ideal for deer ticks.  Areas of barberry have more ticks, more of the mice that host the ticks and more of the Lyme disease.  There is an effort to get rid of the barberry. The mice may like the oval solid red pendant berries.

Ivory Silk Lilac Tree: Syringa reticula (Japanese Tree Lilac)

This tree is in the wooded margin north of Wagner Rd about 300 yards from the end of the road along the flat area.  You may have to walk in a little, it is near the previously described Cousa Dogwood. There is not a lot online about the tree.  It is small tree or large bush, in the Olive family, non-native deciduous, with an oval to round overall shape.

Our attention was drawn to this tree during the blossoming in early June, large fragrant white blossoms. It may have been the first year of heavy flowering since it was not as prominent previously.  It does not seemed to spread easily. It prefers full sun so that may reduce the bloom. There should be brown capsules following the flowers.  The term syrinx in the name indicates that the white pith in the twigs can be easily removed, leaving a hollow tube.

The photos show the leaves, top and bottom and the trunk.  It might be worth trying to grow from the pods in a full sun area.

Update: No visible pods here in July.  ID is always tentative but the leaves look accurate, there are the white lenticels on the multiple trunks.  Shade could be a factor.  In addition there are multiple suckers on the truck which may be a condition called witches broom.  The multiple thin branches indicate an infection which will eventually kill the plant.  We will watch for seeds later, and for other signs of disease.

trunk and leaves of the Ivory Silk Tree, multiple trunks

Top and bottom leaves, pointed tips,curved veins

What's That Blooming Tree?

Common blooming trees were the fruit trees in April, apple and cherry, the princess tree in early May, the locust in mid-May  and now the Catalpa.  This is blooming along Bellona near the Ruxton Road intersection but there are a few in the neighborhood.  One is at the corner of Wagner and Rolandvue, another in the yard at the upper end of Cloverlea.

We had Catalpa on the list last year.  The new wrinkle from the internet is the catalpa worm or caterpillar said to be useful for fishing.  While this sounds interesting, examination of the lower leaves of 8-10 trees show no worms.  It may be the colder, wet weather.  Will continue the search and try to find the worms in Lake Roland.  There is a northern and southern catalpa with the caterpillars more on the latter.  In the south they raise catalpa just for the bait.

The photos show the white flowers, the large heart-shaped leafs and the larva.

Sphinx moth caterpillar on the catalpa, from Wikipedia.

Locust Blooming, Fringe Tree, Poppy, Wood Poppy, Dames Rocket

There seems to be more dame's rocket this year, growing with the common relative garlic mustard. The picture was from early in the month, at the top of Rolandvue hill. This is another of those ambivalent plants, pretty blossoms, sweet smell in the evening, but moderately invasive. It is a Eurasia native, escaped from early gardens. It is a broccoli relative as well so the unopened flowers can be foraged, nutritionally similar to broccoli.

four petalled flowers of Dame's rocket, possible foraging since  invasive

The wood poppies have moved from Cloverlea to Rolandvue, along the western end.  Birds or animals may have spread the seeds, but not sure what happened to the original colony. Another semi-invasive but with attractive flowers.

Wood poppy has moved from Cloverlea to Rolandvue  west end on the north side.

This was an off-site curiosity, a poppy growing along the north central trail at mile 12. This could be a volunteer, or a entrepreneur starting a growth business.  There were a dozen plants. Not sure of the species or how productive the plant might be.

The fringe trees on the east side of Rolandvue hill were mentioned last year but this year caught the blossoms better, with a view of the characteristic multiple trunks.  This is a native tree that is under appreciated. I did not catch the fruit production in the fall and will look for that this year, attracts birds.

pair of Fringe trees along Rolandvue,hardy native trees

fringe tree blossoms 

characteristic multiple trunks of the fringe tree


Finally, a prominent feature of the country side  from early May has been the blooming locust trees.  I may have been more tuned to the locust since they were mentioned last year as being forage material(pod), invasive and subject to breakage. This is a tree along the Goucher trail that was downed by a spring storm.  It is still bearing the numerous white flowers. The rough bark is shown as well.  The grove of locust has lasted fifty years, they grow quickly and provide shade for previously open ares.

locust blossoms seen along every road side, here from fallen tree at Goucher

rough bark of a locust tree

Oregon Grape, Red Leaves and bearing fruit

In "How Plants Work" red leaves (anthrocyanins) of the Oregon grape are used to illustrate how the red pigments can protect a plant from the cold.  The photo was taken on a relatively cold, (fifties), day in May but no snow in sight.  There is a long list of normal and stressful reasons for the leaves to turn red, nutrition, toxins, soil acidity, temperature and variations in metabolism.  Both bushes shown here were near the road, possibly exposed to more chemicals and salt. Every leave has a tale to tell.

This May(2017)we are concentrating on differences from the weekly notes last year.  In this case I do not remember seeing the grapes on the Oregon grape, said to be useful for jam or jelly.

Red(anthrocyanins) leaves on Oregon grape,possible roadside stress

Grapes of the Oregon grape

Another roadside plant with red leaves, Maples can vary, possible stress.

The Most Deadly Plant in North America?

This plant seems more common in May 2017, along Rolandvue and around Lake Roland.  There are numerous members of the wild carrot family (Apiaceae), some useful as food and some highly toxic. The experienced forager is confident harvesting Queen Anne's lace while the novice, with good reason, worries about the fatal look-a-likes.

The photos show some of the characteristics of the local plant,  it may not be strictly Corium maculata but another related species, also toxic.  It will not be toxic unless eaten and the cases of human poisoning are rare.  There are lacy pinnately compound leaves, umbral flower heads with the unusual single large petal on magnification. The lower stem is red, known as Socrate's blood.  An extract of this plant was used in his execution. The stem is hollow. The root seems to be solid rather than chambered and I do not detect any carrot smell.  There are no bracts under the umbrals.  With magnification the stem is smooth but there are fine hairs at the joints. There are some low ridges.

Different sources do not always agree on the details adding to the uncertainty. I will leave the whole family alone as far as foraging.  It is not the much larger related cow parsnip mentioned last year, seen out at Western Run.

This plant rivals the ricin producing castor oil plant in toxicity.  Do not use the hollow stem as a straw.

Pinnately compound leaves(near center) some what feathery.

Flowering umbral without braces

Hollow stem few small hairs but slightly fluted

The red tinged lower stem ? Socrate's blood

Close-up of individual flowers with single large petal.

Rolandvue,3rd Week December: Paper Wasp, Bald-faced Hornet,Dolichovespula maculata

The box elder on Wagner at the corner of Wagner Lane has been host to a Bald-faced hornets nest for many years.  The nest moves from place to place in the tree being renewed annually, impressive engineering. The queen from the old nest overwinters and starts the new nests, raises some workers who then enlarge the nest and switch to raising the next reproducers about mid-summer.   There can be intrigue in the colony worthy of a soap opera with death of the original queen.  These hornets are black with the white markings that account for the name.

As usual there are pluses and minuses to the large football shaped nests.  The hornets are pollinators, they attack other insects which can damage gardens so can be beneficial.  They are minimally aggressive but have a painful sting if approached, and can cause an allergic reaction.  Some suggest removing the nest if near children (by a professional).  See some of the youtube videos for precaution.
There has been no problem with the local nest so the pluses out weigh the minuses.

The picture is from a similar nest near the Goucher track which is in a dogwood, closer to the ground. The box elder is a maple family, can be sugared like a maple, and  might be favored by the hornets since they eat sap as well as other insects.  The Kousa dogwood might provide food as well. The nest is layered up from vegetable matter mixed with saliva. It might be more tempting to move the one near the field, but at least the queen over-winters, might be cautious even in this season.

We see a lot of the paper wasps building their umbrella shaped nests under the eaves of the house, a different species. They have similar  benefits, and hazards. They are more brown and yellow versus the black and white hornets.

Bald-faced Hornets Nest similar to the one high in tree on Wagner Rd.