# Tree IDs



## gfixler (Feb 21, 2009)

*Dendrology*

Hi folks! I'm new here, as of tonight, but it already occurs to me that this might be the place for an idea I've been toying with. I've done minor carpentry-like woodworking since high school (31 now), but in the last 2 years, I've finally been able to rent a house with a detached 1-car garage in LA. Thus began my meteoric rise to choking myself out of said garage with tools and lumber acquisitions 

Late last year, it occurred to me to wonder what the trees the woods I was using looked like. Suddenly I was getting into dendrology. I'd be at my day job all day, in my shop after that until I thought the neighbors couldn't take the noise anymore, and then inside reading up on, and investing everything about trees, from leaf types, to grain nomenclature, and I'm positively swimming now with jargon, like "Janka Hardness Scale," and "pith fleck." I've been reading so much each night, and learning so much so rapidly, that I've needed to cool it a bit, just to be able to retain any of it. My brain isn't keeping up!

When I went to visit my parents in our deep-in-the-woods home in NJ this past holiday season, I used the opportunity to finally go out and photograph the trees, and asked everyone at home who wandered too close what they knew about the trees, as I knew nothing at all. Surprisingly, almost everyone had something to contribute, so I learned a lot about swamp maples, black and white oaks, cypress, sycamore, and a handful of others. I also shipped a few logs from our wood pile, made from our trees, back to me, and some were nicely spalted! I miss home more than ever now  I didn't realize my dad's old 2-acre lot had 40 trees, and nearly as many varieties, and I grew up there! He knew what they all were, and drew me a map (the house was sold a few years back).

Now I live in LA, and had been cursing that I've ended up here with no trees that I can go fell without anyone noticing, as we could in the 35 acres of forest back home, without making a dent. Then I realized something… LA is incredibly diverse in its flora, unlike home where there are maybe 20 tree types. Once I started noticing, I found that just my neighborhood has hundreds of species. It's all imported - we're a desert - so everyone has whatever they liked out of landscaping books, and the list is enormous. Lemon scented gums, japanese evergreen pears, giant weeping figs, and on and on. And every now and then they ARE felled, and then people have to figure out what to do with them. My officemate has already promised me more rubber tree than I can handle in my hatchback. It's over 36" wide at its base, and the internet tells me it's a decent furniture wood. Fun! I'm also keen to hit up tree doctors in the area, bumming for scraps from any and every variety in the county, perfect for my tiny shop.

Anyway, I've been thinking it would be fun to start a blog, wherein I go out and pick a new tree now and then, document everything in pictures (bark, base, full shot, leaves/twigs, any fruit/cones/anomalies, etc., and see if anyone out there would help me track down what it was. Is this something folks here would be into? I see that I can add blogs to series (this site keeps getting cooler and cooler), so I've preemptively started a Tree ID series for this reason. I think it would take a long time to find as many potentially interested parties as may be here already, and this way, I don't have to get blogging software sorted myself.

Also, though I would post a few pics here anyway, is it considered foul-play to also link from here to a more image-based site, like Flickr, for the big, and very high-res image dumps (12 megapixel)? As an example, here's a tree I was really excited to finally identify in the parking lot at work last week. They're all around the neighborhood, and so pretty, if pruned tremendously. All of the surrounding neighborhood is like a crossword puzzle now, and just driving to and from work takes me past maybe 150 species, almost all of which I don't yet know anything about. How exciting!


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## JohnVV (Jan 9, 2009)

gfixler said:


> *Dendrology*
> 
> Hi folks! I'm new here, as of tonight, but it already occurs to me that this might be the place for an idea I've been toying with. I've done minor carpentry-like woodworking since high school (31 now), but in the last 2 years, I've finally been able to rent a house with a detached 1-car garage in LA. Thus began my meteoric rise to choking myself out of said garage with tools and lumber acquisitions
> 
> ...


I would love to find out more. We have the books at home about trees, but nothing ever seems to stick.

So, please! bring on the pictures!

John

PS Click on the "pictures & videos friendly" link next to the buttons above where you write the blog entry to find out more than you may want about lining out to other picture sites.


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## Daren (Sep 16, 2007)

gfixler said:


> *Dendrology*
> 
> Hi folks! I'm new here, as of tonight, but it already occurs to me that this might be the place for an idea I've been toying with. I've done minor carpentry-like woodworking since high school (31 now), but in the last 2 years, I've finally been able to rent a house with a detached 1-car garage in LA. Thus began my meteoric rise to choking myself out of said garage with tools and lumber acquisitions
> 
> ...


Here is a link I learned from/refer to.
http://www.cnr.vt.edu/dendro/dendrology/map/zonemap.cfm


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## sbryan55 (Dec 8, 2007)

gfixler said:


> *Dendrology*
> 
> Hi folks! I'm new here, as of tonight, but it already occurs to me that this might be the place for an idea I've been toying with. I've done minor carpentry-like woodworking since high school (31 now), but in the last 2 years, I've finally been able to rent a house with a detached 1-car garage in LA. Thus began my meteoric rise to choking myself out of said garage with tools and lumber acquisitions
> 
> ...


Gary, that is a wonderful tree. The burls on it look like they would yield some interesting projects. Looking at a tree and only seeing wood projects or hardwood lumber is a telltale sigh of being a true lumberjock.


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## oldworld124 (Mar 2, 2008)

gfixler said:


> *Dendrology*
> 
> Hi folks! I'm new here, as of tonight, but it already occurs to me that this might be the place for an idea I've been toying with. I've done minor carpentry-like woodworking since high school (31 now), but in the last 2 years, I've finally been able to rent a house with a detached 1-car garage in LA. Thus began my meteoric rise to choking myself out of said garage with tools and lumber acquisitions
> 
> ...


Hi Gary, I think you have touched on a very important subject. On my next trip to Brazil my wife and I have already set up an outing with a renowned tree specialist in Sao Paulo to document and photograph as many exotic trees as we can find in an urban setting. He has written and published many books. He also has a fantastic list of trees already located and we intend to go on some tree hunts throughout the region. I am looking forward to this adventure. He also does wood sculptures and other woodworking and has an impressive collection of exotic lumber.


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## JohnGray (Oct 6, 2007)

gfixler said:


> *Dendrology*
> 
> Hi folks! I'm new here, as of tonight, but it already occurs to me that this might be the place for an idea I've been toying with. I've done minor carpentry-like woodworking since high school (31 now), but in the last 2 years, I've finally been able to rent a house with a detached 1-car garage in LA. Thus began my meteoric rise to choking myself out of said garage with tools and lumber acquisitions
> 
> ...


Gary welcome to LJ's!!!
I for one would really be interested in viewing a tree blog, you are off to a good start.
John


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## gfixler (Feb 21, 2009)

gfixler said:


> *Dendrology*
> 
> Hi folks! I'm new here, as of tonight, but it already occurs to me that this might be the place for an idea I've been toying with. I've done minor carpentry-like woodworking since high school (31 now), but in the last 2 years, I've finally been able to rent a house with a detached 1-car garage in LA. Thus began my meteoric rise to choking myself out of said garage with tools and lumber acquisitions
> 
> ...


Looks like there's interest! This will certainly make being in LA a lot more fun, out playing John Audubon to LA's trees.

JohnVV - agreed! It's like going to Spain, or Mexico to learn Spanish, vs. reading a Spanish I book. I've found it far more difficult to retain tree info I find in books and online unless I've seen it in real life. Then it becomes personal. I hope to make it feel a little more personal with good pics, and conversationally delivered info - if I know any - especially the info that would matter to us woodworkers (e.g. grain, density, workability, and such).

Daren - that link is fantastic! Looking through hardwoods sites, and seeing things like dots on maps of where certain trees come from has made me wish there was a nice contour map of trees and their growth regions set up in a really interactive way. It looks like that's what you've sent me! Thanks!

Scott - wholly agree. Even though I've read that Erythrina caffra (the coast coral) yields really light, and if I'm reading it right, almost a cork-like wood, better suited for buoyant canoe outriggers than much else, the beauty of the bark and the thick, twisting limbs *really* has me wanting to quietly cut off at least a limb to see what I can see inside.

Rob - I love your site, and the idea of using reclaimed lumber. I admit to having a bit of a guilty conscience, wanting to make things from dead trees, when I love them so. That's why I've been falling more and more in love with well-managed wood sources, the kind that don't clear cut, keep the energy usage and carbon production low, and especially the ones that use wood we already have. Speaking of, I just finished up jointing, planing, ripping, and crosscutting a piece of the crating my band saw arrived in months ago. It's amazing how such crappy-looking, dirty, and rusty wood can become perfect lumber again. It's flawless, and laser-straight everywhere, once I cut around the nails!

John O. - are you a member of the IWCS? That sounds like the kind of commitment those folks put into their wood acquisitions! I just found their site recently, and after laughing that anyone would collect wood, started collecting wood in their standard sample size, too, and now I can also laugh at myself. Laughter is good for you, I hear 

John G. - Thanks! It's a done deal. I'm going to start picking trees to document, and I will need all the help of the friendly, knowledgeable 'staff'  in here to figure out what in the world the vast array of species around me are. I've identified in the neighborhood of 10 now. Hundreds remaining!


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## Daren (Sep 16, 2007)

gfixler said:


> *Dendrology*
> 
> Hi folks! I'm new here, as of tonight, but it already occurs to me that this might be the place for an idea I've been toying with. I've done minor carpentry-like woodworking since high school (31 now), but in the last 2 years, I've finally been able to rent a house with a detached 1-car garage in LA. Thus began my meteoric rise to choking myself out of said garage with tools and lumber acquisitions
> 
> ...


"I'm also keen to hit up tree doctors in the area, bumming for scraps from any and every variety in the county"
To quote you Gary that is exactly what I do. I run a full time sawmill business just from "urban waste" logs. You are right in town there is a unique variety of species, since many/most were planted as ornamentals. Good luck in your ID adventures !


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## SCOTSMAN (Aug 1, 2008)

gfixler said:


> *Dendrology*
> 
> Hi folks! I'm new here, as of tonight, but it already occurs to me that this might be the place for an idea I've been toying with. I've done minor carpentry-like woodworking since high school (31 now), but in the last 2 years, I've finally been able to rent a house with a detached 1-car garage in LA. Thus began my meteoric rise to choking myself out of said garage with tools and lumber acquisitions
> 
> ...


I bought a few books on dendrology and still cannot find the wood I am looking for it's a big branch of science excuse the pun.Alistair


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## manilaboy (Aug 17, 2007)

gfixler said:


> *Dendrology*
> 
> Hi folks! I'm new here, as of tonight, but it already occurs to me that this might be the place for an idea I've been toying with. I've done minor carpentry-like woodworking since high school (31 now), but in the last 2 years, I've finally been able to rent a house with a detached 1-car garage in LA. Thus began my meteoric rise to choking myself out of said garage with tools and lumber acquisitions
> 
> ...


Blog away! That will really be interesting.

"A whole lot of ships" or something of that sort wrote Pigafetta, Magellan's chronicler, when he caught sight of the forested islands of the Philippines more that 400 years ago. Up until about 50 years ago, those forests are still there. The Philippine's remaining old growth forest is now probably only 10% of what Pigafetta saw in the 1500's. I really do not know if some species have become extinct. Some could have been.

Funny that you came up with the idea. I was also thinking of making an inventory of all the native tree species in the Philippines. I will try and contribute any which way I can. The Forest Management Bureau is just across the street where I always go to get government clearances.

Rico


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## gfixler (Feb 21, 2009)

gfixler said:


> *Dendrology*
> 
> Hi folks! I'm new here, as of tonight, but it already occurs to me that this might be the place for an idea I've been toying with. I've done minor carpentry-like woodworking since high school (31 now), but in the last 2 years, I've finally been able to rent a house with a detached 1-car garage in LA. Thus began my meteoric rise to choking myself out of said garage with tools and lumber acquisitions
> 
> ...


Daren, I took a look through your site. Killer stuff! I love all the dovetail joinery work you've done. You say in a few places that some people see certain things as defects, or don't like particular styles, but I was right with you through the whole gallery. All quite beautiful work. I really appreciate the information on running a sawmilling operation, too. Maybe someday, though not for a long time, I think. I would love to have a bandsaw mill, but that also means having the space to operate it (0.2 acre rental house here - neighbors right next to me, all around me), and probably something other than a 9-year old hatchback  For me right now, I'm not doing much large stuff. I have almost no room left in the shop, and am designing ways now to get things up into the rafters, up in cabinets, out in a separate shed I built, and up from underfoot. I have piles of things all over. That said, I'd be very happy to just get small logs. Things people would throw in a fireplace I can use for little boxes, or stick in my lathe. I was happy to find a 1" diameter 'stick' of pretty dry wood in a parking lot awhile back!


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## gfixler (Feb 21, 2009)

gfixler said:


> *Dendrology*
> 
> Hi folks! I'm new here, as of tonight, but it already occurs to me that this might be the place for an idea I've been toying with. I've done minor carpentry-like woodworking since high school (31 now), but in the last 2 years, I've finally been able to rent a house with a detached 1-car garage in LA. Thus began my meteoric rise to choking myself out of said garage with tools and lumber acquisitions
> 
> ...


Scotsman - ever think of asking in here for the answer? Has it become a personal quest now, that you must complete on your own?


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## gfixler (Feb 21, 2009)

gfixler said:


> *Dendrology*
> 
> Hi folks! I'm new here, as of tonight, but it already occurs to me that this might be the place for an idea I've been toying with. I've done minor carpentry-like woodworking since high school (31 now), but in the last 2 years, I've finally been able to rent a house with a detached 1-car garage in LA. Thus began my meteoric rise to choking myself out of said garage with tools and lumber acquisitions
> 
> ...


Rico - I'd be interested in following along with pics, names, and descriptions of the woods native to your area if you're up to posting about them!


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## HokieMojo (Mar 11, 2008)

gfixler said:


> *Dendrology*
> 
> Hi folks! I'm new here, as of tonight, but it already occurs to me that this might be the place for an idea I've been toying with. I've done minor carpentry-like woodworking since high school (31 now), but in the last 2 years, I've finally been able to rent a house with a detached 1-car garage in LA. Thus began my meteoric rise to choking myself out of said garage with tools and lumber acquisitions
> 
> ...


Gary,
Add one more person the the list of "interested". I wish I had something to add at the moment, but for now I'm just looking forward to see what the group makes of this.


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## gfixler (Feb 21, 2009)

gfixler said:


> *Dendrology*
> 
> Hi folks! I'm new here, as of tonight, but it already occurs to me that this might be the place for an idea I've been toying with. I've done minor carpentry-like woodworking since high school (31 now), but in the last 2 years, I've finally been able to rent a house with a detached 1-car garage in LA. Thus began my meteoric rise to choking myself out of said garage with tools and lumber acquisitions
> 
> ...


Me, too, HokieMojo! Just having you as another interested party is a great addition in my book. I've really been putting off doing something with this recent interest in trees, save for identifying a few with late-night hammerings away at the Google search box. Many of them took a few weeks of occasional sessions like this to get anywhere, and some haven't gotten anywhere yet. I'm even happy just to get leads. In some of my searches, a coworker, or family member will say something like "I think it might be some kind of pepper tree," and then I have somewhere to start. This happened on Friday with my office manager on a walk to a local diner, and searches showed me that pepper trees do indeed look like what we saw on the way there, so now I have something more specific to explore. I think with all the woodworkers in here, I'll get great leads, if not specific species names right off the bat.


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## mmh (Mar 17, 2008)

gfixler said:


> *Dendrology*
> 
> Hi folks! I'm new here, as of tonight, but it already occurs to me that this might be the place for an idea I've been toying with. I've done minor carpentry-like woodworking since high school (31 now), but in the last 2 years, I've finally been able to rent a house with a detached 1-car garage in LA. Thus began my meteoric rise to choking myself out of said garage with tools and lumber acquisitions
> 
> ...


What an exciting blog! I'm learning about different woods and try to get some idea of where they are from, etc., as there's so much to know. I've met up with a wood scientist but his knowledge is way above me. I'm always scouting the neighborhood or where ever I am to find wood for my cane handles or just to admire. There's such diversity in wood, it's amazing.

Manzanita and madrone are some handsome wood found in that part of the US. I believe Manzanita grows in more arid areas, and madrone, lush areas. Happy hunting and ID'ing. Keep us posted.

I wish I knew someone in my area who milled trees, as I have some logs and I've spotted some beautifully burled trees that look like the owners may be interested in having them cut in the near future. I've managed to harvest some logs and those buggers get pretty heavy, not to mention take up space.


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## Karson (May 9, 2006)

gfixler said:


> *Dendrology*
> 
> Hi folks! I'm new here, as of tonight, but it already occurs to me that this might be the place for an idea I've been toying with. I've done minor carpentry-like woodworking since high school (31 now), but in the last 2 years, I've finally been able to rent a house with a detached 1-car garage in LA. Thus began my meteoric rise to choking myself out of said garage with tools and lumber acquisitions
> 
> ...


An interesting concept. Find out about what we use. Gee how novel.

We're with you.


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## gfixler (Feb 21, 2009)

gfixler said:


> *Dendrology*
> 
> Hi folks! I'm new here, as of tonight, but it already occurs to me that this might be the place for an idea I've been toying with. I've done minor carpentry-like woodworking since high school (31 now), but in the last 2 years, I've finally been able to rent a house with a detached 1-car garage in LA. Thus began my meteoric rise to choking myself out of said garage with tools and lumber acquisitions
> 
> ...


Thank you, mmh! Your scientist wasn't one Prof. R. Bruce Hoadley, was he? I have 2 of his books. I wish I had access to Bruce, or similar around here. I'd have questions all the time for them. I've never heard of manzanita, but I did just get a sample of madrone, which is in the first of the 5 sets of samples pics in my latest post. It's very unusual. I'm not quite sure how I'd use it yet. The website told me it grows up north of me here in California. I am still on the hunt for logs in LA, which is to say, I need to get of my butt and start hunting some logs here in LA. I have an 18" bandsaw now, and just got in the blades on Friday for some resawing work, though I still need to make a jig for it, and get things dialed in properly. I'm in the midst of probably 7 other projects, though. Curse this shortage of time!

Karson, thanks! I appreciate the support.


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## gfixler (Feb 21, 2009)

*collecting wood*

I'm overwhelmed by the love shown in my last post in this series, asking if anyone was interested in learning with me (more like teaching me) about different woods, and the trees from which we get them. You were! I've found my people. Let's get started! cracks knuckles

I thought I'd begin not with a tree, but with something very much related and interesting that I recently stumbled upon in one of my habitual all-night online woodworking research sessions: the IWCS, or International Wood Collector's Society. I actually laughed when I found it, thinking "Who does that?" followed by "I guess there's a hobby for anything." However, it stuck in my head, and later I found myself coming back to to it. I've collected a ton of weird things, too. It rolled around in my mind. I joked with friends and coworkers about it. They were equally amused that there were thousands of people around the world collecting wood, on the hunt to collect them all, which is essentially impossible.

For me, I had simply wanted to learn about all of the woods, and memorize everything about them, without keeping any in a 'collection.' I had selectively forgotten about my shoddy memory  I recently picked up noted wood technologist Prof. R. Bruce Hoadley's two outstanding books, "Understanding Wood," which I got during a book sale at my local Rockler store (favorite place in the world), and "Identifying Wood," which I got during a surprise one-day-only 50%-off sale through Taunton (email newsletter alerted me - woo hoo!). In "Identifying Wood," even Prof. Hoadley recommended keeping samples of wood as a reference for later identification. You don't argue with Bruce. It got me thinking even more about it. It was too late.

I ordered a box of samples. from Woodworkers Source, another site I'm falling in love with quickly. If you sign up now for their weekly e-letter, you get a code for $10 to use on your next order. The sample box contains 30 randomly chosen woods - about 1/3rd domestic (to the US), 2/3rds imported (Africa/S. America, Asia, Australia, etc). Their site breaks their woods up by world regions, includes a lot of great info about each wood on their pages, and has a searchable library that holds info on far more woods than they offer. The samples box came with a $25USD veneer guide for free.



The veneer guide is really nice, if a little off in many of the species' colors. There's also a nice page in the back with a big grid of pictures of each of the many figure types, like wavy, curly, 'muscle,' and fiddleback, which really helps me, because I have a hard time remembering which is which, or later identifying the difference between curly and ribbon.



Samples, as defined by the IWCS are 1/2" thick × 3" wide × 6" long, cleanly cut and sanded pieces of wood. Woodworkers Source actually cited the IWCS, and that their samples conform to that spec. I liked that a lot. Now it wasn't going to be about finding giant logs. These were postcard size. I could do that. Prices - they said - ranged from $0.75-$6USD, and members sold and traded them, too. Even better. For anyone unfamiliar with the US dollar, that's a small amount of loose pocket change through maybe enough for a small lunch at a fast food place. Not bad.



I copied all available samples from their site over to a Google Docs spreadsheet, available to view here. In it, I've highlighted the ones I received in green, so you can see what kind of random sampling you might get. The ones in red (and w/o prices) are woods they either don't sell, though still have a page for, or are woods for which they don't have samples, though they may have other things (boards, veneers, etc). I'm going to be ordering the remaining 60 over this year in 6 orders of 10, each at around $30US, or about 3/4 the cost of one of Bruce Hoadley's hardcover wood books.

I should also note that I added up the samples I received, and it came to $117 worth of separate samples. The box is $99 with free shipping, though it's available through Woodworkers Source on Amazon for $89 + $6.99 shipping, which works out to only $96. That may seem like me being cheap, but that $3 is going to pay for a sample of cedrillo wood 

Here's a good place to note that domestics (US) are usually $3.50, sometimes $4 or $5 or so. Imports are usually $5, with some getting closer to $10. The 3 standouts are Kingwood at $12/sample, Tulipwood at $14/sample, and the impressive Ebony Gaboon at $17/sample. I thought that was a typo until I looked it up. $99/bft! I could remake my 12bft desktop (3'x4') in poplar for about $30, or in ebony gaboon for $1200. Difficult choice… It wasn't until I started learning about hardwood pricing last year that I finally understood why people would be so 'cheap,' going with veneered furniture all the time. I get it now. It's also nice not to destroy the more limited supply of rich hardwoods in the world by building everything entirely out of them. Anyway, here are shots of all the samples I received in my kit. What fun!











I'm going to be building a wall rack for these, holding them in this fashion, though wall-mounted, smaller, and wider than tall - something 'Golden Rectangle," likely. I want it to occupy the position and size of landscape painting on a living room wall. It'll be all at once a fun collection to add to all the time, a bit of warm, woodsy pop art, and a great reference tool. The samples will help me identify woods in the future, and also let me compare woods under different lighting conditions to see what looks good together for future projects. It's nearly impossible to tell from books and the internet what wood looks like, and certainly not what it smells like. I had no idea walnut smelled so delicious, especially when cut in my band saw (like warm, chocolaty, cinnamony bread pudding  until I bought some, and I had an entirely different concept of what wenge looked, and would feel like until I actually held a piece in my hand at Rockler.

I think these IWCS people are on to something here. In fact, when I got the samples, 2, maybe 3 in particular gave me that "I've seen this before" feeling. Later, I went through my 4 boxes of hardwood scraps I got through Rockler earlier this year, which also turned into a big ID party, with more spreadsheets  and found that one 2×2 turning blank in there that I hadn't ID'd yet was African Mahogany - looked exactly like the sample thereof. I was able to match another wood, too, and a third one seemed quite similar, except that they had radically different smells.

The IWCS also sells samples on its site, through a more old-fashioned downloadable checklist mail-order form. Will anyone in here be interested in trading around samples one day? I don't have any extras of anything yet, but I'm curious as to future prospects  In fact, is anyone here already doing this? Got anything for sale? Of course, I'm pretty adamant about getting exactly the right species on them before I tag and shelve them, so that will be a factor. I can make my own samples from small bits of wood, too, and am skipping sample orders I can get locally. I checked before posting this for "IWCS" through the search box. No results! Could I possibly be bringing new info to this popular site?

If you read all of this, you're a trooper! I promise not all of my Tree ID Series posts will be anywhere near this long.


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## trifern (Feb 1, 2008)

gfixler said:


> *collecting wood*
> 
> I'm overwhelmed by the love shown in my last post in this series, asking if anyone was interested in learning with me (more like teaching me) about different woods, and the trees from which we get them. You were! I've found my people. Let's get started! cracks knuckles
> 
> ...


You may want to check out GaryK's project. He built this for his wood collection. He has also done a series of blogs about his wood library.


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## gfixler (Feb 21, 2009)

gfixler said:


> *collecting wood*
> 
> I'm overwhelmed by the love shown in my last post in this series, asking if anyone was interested in learning with me (more like teaching me) about different woods, and the trees from which we get them. You were! I've found my people. Let's get started! cracks knuckles
> 
> ...


Wow! His collection box is gorgeous. I can only hope to be able to make things that beautiful one day. I'll have to wander through his projects list. Thanks for the heads up, trifern!


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## GaryK (Jun 25, 2007)

gfixler said:


> *collecting wood*
> 
> I'm overwhelmed by the love shown in my last post in this series, asking if anyone was interested in learning with me (more like teaching me) about different woods, and the trees from which we get them. You were! I've found my people. Let's get started! cracks knuckles
> 
> ...


Hello Gary,

Great name by the way!

If you really want a good collection with 70 different types of wood you can check this guy out.
I really didn't want to spend that much money for little pieces of wood.

He's local to you, but his prices are high. It's worth the drive just to check out his stuff. He has
2 or 3 semi trailers full of wood.

Let me know if you are interested in good places to buy wood in the LA area.

http://www.eisenbran.com/cbSearch.asp?Category=Collector%20Sample%20Sets

Eisenbrand Inc.
Exotic Hardwoods 
4100 Spencer Street
Torrance, CA 90503
(310)542-3576


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## gfixler (Feb 21, 2009)

gfixler said:


> *collecting wood*
> 
> I'm overwhelmed by the love shown in my last post in this series, asking if anyone was interested in learning with me (more like teaching me) about different woods, and the trees from which we get them. You were! I've found my people. Let's get started! cracks knuckles
> 
> ...


Wow, his prices are high. Still, great selection. The one annoying bit is that his samples are all 0.38" thick. I was really hoping to keep everything to the IWCS set size of 0.5". I feel like Eisenbrand is cutting corners wherever possible. Maybe it's necessary in this economy.

I would love to hear about any and all wood places in LA. Here's the list I have so far:

Home Depot
Anawalt Lumber
House of Hardwoods (known about for a year, still haven't been, though it's close by)
Anderson Plywood (just went back for the 2nd time in years - I've been missing out!)
Rockler (in Torrance)

That's about it so far. Thanks!


----------



## GaryK (Jun 25, 2007)

gfixler said:


> *collecting wood*
> 
> I'm overwhelmed by the love shown in my last post in this series, asking if anyone was interested in learning with me (more like teaching me) about different woods, and the trees from which we get them. You were! I've found my people. Let's get started! cracks knuckles
> 
> ...


You didn't say what part of L.A. you are from but all of these are worth the drive.

I always went to Lane Stanton Vance in the city of Industry. The have a great small lot section.
Also liked Reel Lumber in Anaheim a lot.

Both the above have a great selection and prices.

For a lot more of the exotics try Tropical Exotic Hardwoods in Oceanside. Worth the drive!
If you ever get around Solana Beach try Cut and Dried Hardwoods.

http://www.lsvlumber.com/
http://www.reellumber.com/
http://www.anexotichardwood.com/
http://www.cutanddriedhardwood.com

Check out my blog for Tropical Exotic Hardwoods - Lots of pictures.

http://lumberjocks.com/jocks/GaryK/blog/3390


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## gfixler (Feb 21, 2009)

gfixler said:


> *collecting wood*
> 
> I'm overwhelmed by the love shown in my last post in this series, asking if anyone was interested in learning with me (more like teaching me) about different woods, and the trees from which we get them. You were! I've found my people. Let's get started! cracks knuckles
> 
> ...


You've really done your homework! This is a good list. It's a shame they're not all right in my neighborhood, which, btw, is Culver City. I live in the middle of coffee, juice, and trendy fashion stores. I'm not into any of that stuff. I keep wondering why I'm here.

That store in your blog post is wonderful. If I ever win the lottery, I'm going to splurge a little there.

Thanks for the list! Even though they're not super close, it's really nice to see my options expand so much.


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## GaryK (Jun 25, 2007)

gfixler said:


> *collecting wood*
> 
> I'm overwhelmed by the love shown in my last post in this series, asking if anyone was interested in learning with me (more like teaching me) about different woods, and the trees from which we get them. You were! I've found my people. Let's get started! cracks knuckles
> 
> ...


Well, I've lived there for my first 48 years so I should know of a couple of places. I've been to almost every place in LA area that sells wood and I found these to be the best.

Just go north to the 10 east to the 60 east to the 57 south the 91 east to the 55 south to the 5 south to
Oceanside and you will have gone to within 2 miles of everyone of them.

Make a day of it!


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## gfixler (Feb 21, 2009)

gfixler said:


> *collecting wood*
> 
> I'm overwhelmed by the love shown in my last post in this series, asking if anyone was interested in learning with me (more like teaching me) about different woods, and the trees from which we get them. You were! I've found my people. Let's get started! cracks knuckles
> 
> ...


Wait… the best? You mean there are MORE!? 

I think I will definitely have to take your tour of the wood sellers in the area one of these days. What a fun trip that would be. I imagine I'd be taking a cab home, having used up all my money, and traded in my car for the last few bits that I simply had to have.

Thanks again!


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## GaryK (Jun 25, 2007)

gfixler said:


> *collecting wood*
> 
> I'm overwhelmed by the love shown in my last post in this series, asking if anyone was interested in learning with me (more like teaching me) about different woods, and the trees from which we get them. You were! I've found my people. Let's get started! cracks knuckles
> 
> ...


You will be surprised at Lane Stanton Vance.

Probably 6 plus acres of lumber stacked about 50 feet high.

There is a small building there they call their small lot sales. They have everything there from plywood, to mahogany to maple. They also have exotics, and every once in a while something new. I got the most amazing piece of curly Koa there for only $7 a BF!

My last trip to CA I bought some canary wood and had is shipped home

http://lumberjocks.com/jocks/GaryK/blog/3396

I'll be back out there in April to make the rounds again.


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## gfixler (Feb 21, 2009)

gfixler said:


> *collecting wood*
> 
> I'm overwhelmed by the love shown in my last post in this series, asking if anyone was interested in learning with me (more like teaching me) about different woods, and the trees from which we get them. You were! I've found my people. Let's get started! cracks knuckles
> 
> ...


That is a ton of lumber. Is it mostly just construction-grade stuff, like fir 2×4s? I can't imagine finding a place full of plywood-stack sized mountains of rarer stuff. It would be a dream.

Good find with that canary wood, too. It looks amazing, and will probably incredible when finished. Did you ever find a use for it?

So far I've mostly trolled the Home Depot aisles, waiting to see if they'll get something unusual again, like that 1 day I saw euro beech there (and got some), or looking for more interesting bits of birch and poplar, like this heart/sap mix wavy birch that stood out from the rest I'd seen there. I don't mind the mixes like that most of the time, especially when it's doing cool things like this.


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## glennl (Jun 20, 2008)

gfixler said:


> *collecting wood*
> 
> I'm overwhelmed by the love shown in my last post in this series, asking if anyone was interested in learning with me (more like teaching me) about different woods, and the trees from which we get them. You were! I've found my people. Let's get started! cracks knuckles
> 
> ...


Hi Gary:

You're a man after my own heart! 
I certainly "wood" be interested in (when i have a decent supply) trading samples, informati9on, pictures, etc.

I also found that by ordering *pen blanks* (although not the "official" size) I could get some exotics at a relatively inexpensive price. They are roughly 3/4" x 3/4" x 5 or 6 inches. Many of the catalogers sell them (Rockler, Lee Valley, Woodcraft, etc.). Sometimes they offer specials, etc.


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## gfixler (Feb 21, 2009)

gfixler said:


> *collecting wood*
> 
> I'm overwhelmed by the love shown in my last post in this series, asking if anyone was interested in learning with me (more like teaching me) about different woods, and the trees from which we get them. You were! I've found my people. Let's get started! cracks knuckles
> 
> ...


Thanks, Glenn!

Same here. I don't have a lot of wood yet, but I'm considering cutting up samples to trade whenever I get my hands on unusual stuff. I have a local Rockler store, and have waded through the aisle of pen blanks. They have so many varieties. I took advantage of a sale late last year for something like 20 larger blanks, about 1.5" square, 12" long each, 2 each of 10 or 12 species. I haven't done anything with them yet, because I don't think I'm good enough.

I won't be able to use them or pen blanks for my collection, though, as I'm trying to follow the IWCS standard of 0.5"x3"x6" pieces. Part of the reason is that I want to use those dimensions decoratively in a wall rack, where all the end grains face out and create a kind of modern pop-art display. Silly, I know  I've actually considered resawing some large turning blanks, jointing them, and gluing them up into blanks, but that's just cheating.

I sure make things difficult on myself.


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## BarbS (Mar 20, 2007)

gfixler said:


> *collecting wood*
> 
> I'm overwhelmed by the love shown in my last post in this series, asking if anyone was interested in learning with me (more like teaching me) about different woods, and the trees from which we get them. You were! I've found my people. Let's get started! cracks knuckles
> 
> ...


Great blog entry, Gary. You now have me interested in making up samples of my home-harvested woods. I hope I don't become addicted enough to be spending lots of money on samples, but what a great collection to start! Thanks.


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## gfixler (Feb 21, 2009)

*The Coast Coral Tree (Erythrina caffra)*

I thought I'd get the ball rolling on this Tree ID series with the one I've already mentioned in my call-for-interest post. I've identified this one, and a very small set of others, and will post those first, as I do not have photos yet of the trees in my area of any that I haven't managed to track down.

The internet has several names for this one, including the coast coral Tree, the coastal coral, the ****************************** tree, and the kaffirboom, or kafferboom tree. These last terms, according to one online encyclopedia (2nd to the last paragraph mentions our tree here), have quite an objectionable etymology. Personally, I prefer "coast coral." According to this page, there are around 113 species of Erythrina - coral trees - in the world, "70 neotropical, 31 African, and 12 Asian species."



I moved from America's east coast to Los Angeles 6 years ago for work, and as such, was pleased to discover that Erythrina - the entire 100+ species strong genus - are "the official tree" of this city. The Big Orange Landmarks blog has some great pictures of the historic 2-mile stretch of "San Vicente Boulevard between Bringham Avenue and 26th Street, Brentwood," which feature a lot of more natural examples of E. caffra. It also shows me that I should be seeing some beautiful plumes of orange flowers, though I suspect the rampant pruning of all the corals in my area, which all show perhaps several hundred trimmed branch ends, as well as many lower limbs growing back around their cut ends, may prevent the flowers from appearing.

A comment on that Big Orange Landmarks page by someone whose commute often brought them past the San Vicente corals notes "...one of the regular features of this was seeing huge fallen branches that had ripped away from the trunks under their own weight, sometimes large enough to extend into traffic and block a lane." And that brings me to our most interesting point, this tree's usefulness to the woodworker.



Unfortunately, though seemingly large and tough, the coast coral is relegated to the position of 'ornamental,' as it is not very good for building. It grows fast and big, and as such, is not at all dense. Werner Voigt states on the South African National Biodiversity Institute's plant information website's page on the tree: "The wood is very soft, spongy and light. Hollowed trunks were used to make canoes and troughs, and cubes of wood were used as floats for fishnets." His article is a goldmine of information about the tree's needs, and habitat, and features pages of information on every aspect of it, with closeup pics of the trifoliate leaves and spiky bark - things I hadn't noticed about the tree until they were pointed out to me by his write-up.

And of course, spongy or not, I'm considering a trip down San Vicente Blvd for some of those fallen limbs 



My photos come from a rainy February day - one of few months that bring rain to LA, along with November - and this revealed to me that the bark, normally a pale gray like dry cement, turns a deep, mustard yellow when wet. It makes me very curious to see how the spongy wood inside would take to various finishes, and I wonder, too, about what kind of [albeit, soft] natural-edge bowls might be had from these trees.



If you're still hungry for info, Wikipedia has a page on Erythrina, which goes into some detail on the features of the genus, and its other members. Too, there are a few more photos over in my Flickr set.


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## damianpenney (Jun 22, 2007)

gfixler said:


> *The Coast Coral Tree (Erythrina caffra)*
> 
> I thought I'd get the ball rolling on this Tree ID series with the one I've already mentioned in my call-for-interest post. I've identified this one, and a very small set of others, and will post those first, as I do not have photos yet of the trees in my area of any that I haven't managed to track down.
> 
> ...


Cool, I see these all over San Francisco/Oakland, nice to put a name to a face as it were


----------



## MsDebbieP (Jan 4, 2007)

gfixler said:


> *The Coast Coral Tree (Erythrina caffra)*
> 
> I thought I'd get the ball rolling on this Tree ID series with the one I've already mentioned in my call-for-interest post. I've identified this one, and a very small set of others, and will post those first, as I do not have photos yet of the trees in my area of any that I haven't managed to track down.
> 
> ...


that is one amazing tree!


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## gfixler (Feb 21, 2009)

*Silver Birch (Betula pendula)*

I believe this will be the last of the trees I post in this ongoing series that I've already identified. I think it'll be more fun for me and anyone else following along to go on the hunt for a tree's name and species along with me than for me to simply post an encyclopedic entry of each tree. I didn't take proper pics of the 2 or 3 others I've identified either, so they're not worth posting yet anyway. I do intend to follow up identifications with more about the trees we've identified once we've [hopefully] solved each one's mystery.



This somewhat ratty-looking specimen sits outside my front door in LA. After quite a bit of searching through birch varieties, I feel fairly confident that it is indeed a silver birch (Betula pendula), also called European Weeping Birch, European White Birch, or Weeping Birch, though I am happy to be proven wrong with adequate examples to the contrary. As the tree ages, it can develop large, dark, diamond-shaped fissures which appear as though the bark has split open.





These trees should be 15-25m tall, and mine certainly isn't, but after a year or two of seeing it every day, it wasn't until I started this blog and took some pictures of it that I noticed something quite obvious. The top half of the tree has been cut off, either by the owner (I'm renting), or a previous tenant. It's 6" across at the cut.



One of the things distinguishing silver birch from a close relative, Downy Birch, (Betula pubescens) is the tiny warts that grow all along the younger limbs, as seen here:



This silver birch is loaded with catkins, each of which is comprised heavily of tiny seeds that look incredibly like little winged insects - a bit like citrus whiteflies. In my own experiments, these take to the wind like ash from a fire, floating on breezes almost too gentle to feel.











The simple leaves appear [to me] to be deltoid, and serrate, though you may decide for yourself.







Silver birch is one of the species of birches used in birch plywood, and trolling google for betula pendula plywood will bring up many links.

Next time in this series, I'll be presenting a tree I don't know at all. I have a feeling someone here will know what it is. Then I can research all about it, and add it to my knowledge-base. What fun!


----------



## damianpenney (Jun 22, 2007)

gfixler said:


> *Silver Birch (Betula pendula)*
> 
> I believe this will be the last of the trees I post in this ongoing series that I've already identified. I think it'll be more fun for me and anyone else following along to go on the hunt for a tree's name and species along with me than for me to simply post an encyclopedic entry of each tree. I didn't take proper pics of the 2 or 3 others I've identified either, so they're not worth posting yet anyway. I do intend to follow up identifications with more about the trees we've identified once we've [hopefully] solved each one's mystery.
> 
> ...


No way! Keep posting  I'm really enjoying this series.


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## gfixler (Feb 21, 2009)

gfixler said:


> *Silver Birch (Betula pendula)*
> 
> I believe this will be the last of the trees I post in this ongoing series that I've already identified. I think it'll be more fun for me and anyone else following along to go on the hunt for a tree's name and species along with me than for me to simply post an encyclopedic entry of each tree. I didn't take proper pics of the 2 or 3 others I've identified either, so they're not worth posting yet anyway. I do intend to follow up identifications with more about the trees we've identified once we've [hopefully] solved each one's mystery.
> 
> ...


Thanks Damian! These are fun.


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## GaryK (Jun 25, 2007)

gfixler said:


> *Silver Birch (Betula pendula)*
> 
> I believe this will be the last of the trees I post in this ongoing series that I've already identified. I think it'll be more fun for me and anyone else following along to go on the hunt for a tree's name and species along with me than for me to simply post an encyclopedic entry of each tree. I didn't take proper pics of the 2 or 3 others I've identified either, so they're not worth posting yet anyway. I do intend to follow up identifications with more about the trees we've identified once we've [hopefully] solved each one's mystery.
> 
> ...


I wish you were here. I have a few trees that I can't figure out!


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## Karson (May 9, 2006)

gfixler said:


> *Silver Birch (Betula pendula)*
> 
> I believe this will be the last of the trees I post in this ongoing series that I've already identified. I think it'll be more fun for me and anyone else following along to go on the hunt for a tree's name and species along with me than for me to simply post an encyclopedic entry of each tree. I didn't take proper pics of the 2 or 3 others I've identified either, so they're not worth posting yet anyway. I do intend to follow up identifications with more about the trees we've identified once we've [hopefully] solved each one's mystery.
> 
> ...


This is a board from a tree that I'm trying to identify.










Some more pictures are here

The bark pockets go all the way through the log.

I've got about 4-5 boards of this wood. The sawmill owner says he'd seen one other log and he thought it might be pin oak.


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## gfixler (Feb 21, 2009)

gfixler said:


> *Silver Birch (Betula pendula)*
> 
> I believe this will be the last of the trees I post in this ongoing series that I've already identified. I think it'll be more fun for me and anyone else following along to go on the hunt for a tree's name and species along with me than for me to simply post an encyclopedic entry of each tree. I didn't take proper pics of the 2 or 3 others I've identified either, so they're not worth posting yet anyway. I do intend to follow up identifications with more about the trees we've identified once we've [hopefully] solved each one's mystery.
> 
> ...


Gary - no guarantee I'd know either! Though it would be fun to try. I am sort of developing the beginnings of the set of skills necessary to identify trees and their wood, but it's going to take a long time. Maybe you can get a bunch of pictures of it as I've been doing and let the group here help out?

Karson - that's some neat looking wood there! This shot actually reminds me of banksia pods, currently on sale. Obviously, that's not what it is, though. A site that's helped me out when identifying some things in the 4 boxes of assorted hardwoods I picked up through Rockler earlier this year was Hobbit House. Here's his page on misc. oaks. Pin oak is in there, though I don't particularly see the matchup. Something else that could help would be a high-resolution scan, or macro photo of the cleanly-sawn end grain. He has an example of that here for red oak. It's amazing how varied the end grains are between woods, even of the same genus when viewed end-on, and enlarged like this. A lot of woods look really similar from their flat-sawn faces.


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## 2 (Feb 26, 2006)

gfixler said:


> *Silver Birch (Betula pendula)*
> 
> I believe this will be the last of the trees I post in this ongoing series that I've already identified. I think it'll be more fun for me and anyone else following along to go on the hunt for a tree's name and species along with me than for me to simply post an encyclopedic entry of each tree. I didn't take proper pics of the 2 or 3 others I've identified either, so they're not worth posting yet anyway. I do intend to follow up identifications with more about the trees we've identified once we've [hopefully] solved each one's mystery.
> 
> ...


Great series, Gary! Keep them coming


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## gfixler (Feb 21, 2009)

gfixler said:


> *Silver Birch (Betula pendula)*
> 
> I believe this will be the last of the trees I post in this ongoing series that I've already identified. I think it'll be more fun for me and anyone else following along to go on the hunt for a tree's name and species along with me than for me to simply post an encyclopedic entry of each tree. I didn't take proper pics of the 2 or 3 others I've identified either, so they're not worth posting yet anyway. I do intend to follow up identifications with more about the trees we've identified once we've [hopefully] solved each one's mystery.
> 
> ...


Thanks Martin! I'll do my best, but from now on, I won't know what most of the trees are, so it'll be mostly descriptions of observable traits with nice photos, and the group will have to help track down the names. I will research on my end meanwhile, and hopefully we'll eventually nail down every tree in my area! It's a lofty goal. I see new types of trees here almost daily. It's amazing the variety in the neighborhoods of LA, and I've found some really pretty locations and trees that I look forward to capturing and bringing to the group here.


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## gfixler (Feb 21, 2009)

*First mystery tree - help me ID it!*

Status: SOLVED

We arrive finally at the trees I don't know, though there may be a few more I do in later posts in this series. This one seems an ornamental, and it lines some streets in my area. It has very long alternate compound leaves (2' or more), and the leaflets split in two at their tip, looking like 2 leaves welded into one. This past week or two a few have begun to bloom in large pink flowers. My pics are from several specimens lining a local street.

















If we solve it, I'll research it and do a follow-up post with more info. Thanks for any help!


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## dougdeg (Jan 29, 2008)

gfixler said:


> *First mystery tree - help me ID it!*
> 
> Status: SOLVED
> 
> ...


Hi i think i got the answer, I belive this tree is know as the split two leaf smooth bark pretty flower tree from CA.
I bet this is it only seen it once before.


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## TraumaJacques (Oct 25, 2008)

gfixler said:


> *First mystery tree - help me ID it!*
> 
> Status: SOLVED
> 
> ...


Suderbia ugglhia chepeepa I think they are called. Cut one down and lets see the grain.


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## gfixler (Feb 21, 2009)

gfixler said:


> *First mystery tree - help me ID it!*
> 
> Status: SOLVED
> 
> ...


Doug and Jacques - I wish it was called either of those things. HA!

Rob - Amazing work. Looks like you deserve that handle after all! Now I have some researching to do to learn all about it. Thanks!


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## HokieMojo (Mar 11, 2008)

gfixler said:


> *First mystery tree - help me ID it!*
> 
> Status: SOLVED
> 
> ...


yes. Thanks gary and rob. this could be fun.


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## gfixler (Feb 21, 2009)

*First mystery tree followup - Orchid Tree (Bauhinia variegata)*

Our very own socalwood immediately picked off my first mystery tree. It would seem indeed to be a Bauhinia variegata, known commonly as the orchid tree. I took a look through the world of the Bauhinia, and for a time almost thought it was Bauhinia purpurea, The Free Dictionary's other possibility (entry 1). Apparently I'm not alone in this confusion, but shots of B. purpurea, like the one in the Wikipedia article seem quite different. Another name that occasionally popped up was Bauhinia candida, but it turns out that's incorrect usage. Candida is simply a cultivar of B. variegata.



Yesterday morning, up early, I went out to have another look at the trees. The flowers are blooming on several right now - as they are supposed to between January and April (it's March) - and they match up 1 for 1 to photos of the flowers of B. variegata, which are quite a bit different from those of the other Bauhinia species that I managed to track down of the >200 of them that Wikipedia claims exist. Socalwood scores a solid win.



There are a few examples along the street where I took my photos that appeared dead, filled with what I believed to be brown, withered leaves hanging onto the middle of the tree. These turned out - after research, and closer inspection of my own photos - to be the long, brown seed pods that form at the base of the long leaves, revealed as the drapery of the leaflets fall away from the leaves, from the bottom up. In this shot, you can see how long the leaves can grow. The squiggly lines that shoot from the seed pods into the sky are each one alternate compound leaf, as long as 3', with most of the leaflets fallen away. The youngest parts of the leaves - the leaflets at the top - are still clinging on:



Here's a closeup of the seed pods, which are about 3-4 inches long:


I also grabbed a few shots of a younger tree:






And now the important bit… can we build anything out of it? 

I've scoured the internet for any mention of orchid tree turnings, carvings, whittlings, furniture, and other usage, and simply can't find anything. Despite that the University of Florida's page on it states "the weak wood… is susceptible to breakage in storms," online dictionaries like to say it has hard dark wood, sometimes calling it "mountain ebony." This page on Mountain Ebony shows several of the colors and varieties of Bauhinia, and claims "The wood of the tree is of very good quality and reddish-brown in colour and is very strong. This is probably the reason behind the name 'Mountain Ebony.' This wood is used only for agricultural purposes and as firewood."

The section on ebony from Turning and Mechanical Manipulation, by Charles Holtzapffel makes this claim: "Mountain Ebony. The different species of Bauhiniae are so called: B. porrerta grows on the hills in Jamaica, and has wood which is hard and veined with black." Perhaps there's some discrepancy with the local instances of the orchid tree, and those that grow in India and other more tropical/sub-tropical regions.

Maybe I'll have to spirit away one of the local trees and find out how well it works myself  Meanwhile, at least they attract hummingbirds.


----------



## jonathandj (Apr 30, 2009)

gfixler said:


> *First mystery tree followup - Orchid Tree (Bauhinia variegata)*
> 
> Our very own socalwood immediately picked off my first mystery tree. It would seem indeed to be a Bauhinia variegata, known commonly as the orchid tree. I took a look through the world of the Bauhinia, and for a time almost thought it was Bauhinia purpurea, The Free Dictionary's other possibility (entry 1). Apparently I'm not alone in this confusion, but shots of B. purpurea, like the one in the Wikipedia article seem quite different. Another name that occasionally popped up was Bauhinia candida, but it turns out that's incorrect usage. Candida is simply a cultivar of B. variegata.
> 
> ...


Bauhinia Variegata is also widely known as "camels foot" tree in RSA. I have turned a number of bowls and lampstands from this wood. It is very stable, turns beuatifully and polishes to a very unique coloration of dark chocolate with streaks


----------



## gfixler (Feb 21, 2009)

gfixler said:


> *First mystery tree followup - Orchid Tree (Bauhinia variegata)*
> 
> Our very own socalwood immediately picked off my first mystery tree. It would seem indeed to be a Bauhinia variegata, known commonly as the orchid tree. I took a look through the world of the Bauhinia, and for a time almost thought it was Bauhinia purpurea, The Free Dictionary's other possibility (entry 1). Apparently I'm not alone in this confusion, but shots of B. purpurea, like the one in the Wikipedia article seem quite different. Another name that occasionally popped up was Bauhinia candida, but it turns out that's incorrect usage. Candida is simply a cultivar of B. variegata.
> 
> ...


Jonathan - I would love to see pictures if you have any!


----------



## Flyingmonkey158 (Aug 8, 2016)

gfixler said:


> *First mystery tree followup - Orchid Tree (Bauhinia variegata)*
> 
> Our very own socalwood immediately picked off my first mystery tree. It would seem indeed to be a Bauhinia variegata, known commonly as the orchid tree. I took a look through the world of the Bauhinia, and for a time almost thought it was Bauhinia purpurea, The Free Dictionary's other possibility (entry 1). Apparently I'm not alone in this confusion, but shots of B. purpurea, like the one in the Wikipedia article seem quite different. Another name that occasionally popped up was Bauhinia candida, but it turns out that's incorrect usage. Candida is simply a cultivar of B. variegata.
> 
> ...


Gary, came along your post as I was searching to figure out what kind of wood I came across the other day. The leaves look to be of Bauhinia purpurea I live in Anaheim, and this tree was listed in the common trees of LA website so I am thinking it is it but I cant find any good pictures of the actual wood. I found two logs, and some leaves. let me know what you think.


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## gfixler (Feb 21, 2009)

*Second mystery tree - Any ideas?*

These shots are from late February. I have several more since then backing up in my collection, so it's time to roll out another mystery tree. I saw this one while paying a ticket at a Santa Monica, CA courthouse (missing front plate - whoops!). I love the swanky designs on its limbs.

The leaves remind me a lot of Ficus benjamina (Benjamin fig/Weeping fig), but the trunk and limbs do not. Maybe a cultivar, or some other kind of ficus? Here are several photos, from this Flickr set:













Thanks in advance for any help putting a name to this one.


----------



## Emeralds (Aug 24, 2008)

gfixler said:


> *Second mystery tree - Any ideas?*
> 
> These shots are from late February. I have several more since then backing up in my collection, so it's time to roll out another mystery tree. I saw this one while paying a ticket at a Santa Monica, CA courthouse (missing front plate - whoops!). I love the swanky designs on its limbs.
> 
> ...


Gary:

To me it looks like an Ash. Just happens to be my favorite species of hardwood since it's rock hard, nicely figured and relatively inexpensive. It may also be some form of Willow. I'm certainly no expert on them but that is what it looks like to me.

Cheers


----------



## spanky46 (Feb 12, 2009)

gfixler said:


> *Second mystery tree - Any ideas?*
> 
> These shots are from late February. I have several more since then backing up in my collection, so it's time to roll out another mystery tree. I saw this one while paying a ticket at a Santa Monica, CA courthouse (missing front plate - whoops!). I love the swanky designs on its limbs.
> 
> ...


Looks like ASH or ELM!!!!


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## gfixler (Feb 21, 2009)

gfixler said:


> *Second mystery tree - Any ideas?*
> 
> These shots are from late February. I have several more since then backing up in my collection, so it's time to roll out another mystery tree. I saw this one while paying a ticket at a Santa Monica, CA courthouse (missing front plate - whoops!). I love the swanky designs on its limbs.
> 
> ...


Emeralds and spanky, you guys look to be right about it being some kind of ash. It can't be an elm, spanky, and the reason is a nice new bit of wisdom for me: while both have compound leaves, those of elms are alternate, while those of ash are opposite. A few of my pics show opposite leaves - a rather rare thing, apparently.

Now to figure out which kind of ash, if it is indeed an ash (90% sure it is). I've found a few pictures online with extremely similar leaves and branches, but those were not identified down to the common name. The common names I've found don't seem to match exactly, and so far, I've not found any with the cool splitting limb bark. I have found one with square stems that seem like young versions of these limbs, but the young limbs in my pics do not have that feature. This is a tricky one.

Thanks, guys!


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## Chipncut (Aug 18, 2006)

gfixler said:


> *Second mystery tree - Any ideas?*
> 
> These shots are from late February. I have several more since then backing up in my collection, so it's time to roll out another mystery tree. I saw this one while paying a ticket at a Santa Monica, CA courthouse (missing front plate - whoops!). I love the swanky designs on its limbs.
> 
> ...


I think its Hackberry, my son had some trees like this in his yard in Hot Springs, AR

Here's some pictures of what the wood looks like.


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## gfixler (Feb 21, 2009)

*The deadly Chinese Elm*

I was not expecting to ID this tree this way. At the end of my street is a tiny triangular park - by tiny, I mean maybe 0.2-0.3 acres - lined with what I've been guessing might be some kind of Eucalyptus. They're tall, twisty, and have a peeling or splitting bark that reveals many multicolored blotches beneath.

Today I learned what they are while looking up a Chinese elm my friend told me fell in the wind storm this week. It was 70 years old, and 50' tall. I wasn't sure a) why that was newsworthy in LA (unless it was famous, somehow), or b) how my friend heard about it, and why she remembered it. It dawned on me around lunch today, however, that it might be laying there, waiting for me to swing by and cut it up for my own usage. I looked it up, found the story related to it here (w/ video of tree, truck, and guy (last half)), and realized it was the kind of tree in the park down the street. I love them. I've been really itching to know what they are, what they're like inside, how well the wood works, and what colors, grains, and textures are lurking within. The LA Times "Tree of the Week" feature has a nice photo and info about them.

I hadn't noticed the part of the article about it landing on a truck, though, and from my office, the video didn't load, so I didn't have the thumbnail image of said destruction. I arrived today only to find the tree completely removed:



Then I turned my head to the other side of the road and saw this shocker:



Looks like it took out the backboard of that basketball net, too:



Less than a block away stood 2 more gracious Chinese elms, directly opposite similarly-tall Benjamin Figs (Ficus benjamina). I'm guessing the homeowners around there are eyeing their elms a bit more warily than usual this week:



ABC's recap of this event has a rather epic fallen-tree shot of the fallen tree, ripped up earth and sidewalk, and crushed truck laid over their embedded video, which, at the end, shows a wood chipper near the fallen tree. I'm guessing they fed all the branches through it. It would hurt me to know they ground up the beautiful trunk and larger limb bits, though I know deep down they just mulched them, or threw them in a landfill somewhere. I need to get friendly with these tree cleanup guys, and let them know they have a great alternative to ruining all of the gorgeous, exotic woods around here


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## oldskoolmodder (Apr 28, 2008)

gfixler said:


> *The deadly Chinese Elm*
> 
> I was not expecting to ID this tree this way. At the end of my street is a tiny triangular park - by tiny, I mean maybe 0.2-0.3 acres - lined with what I've been guessing might be some kind of Eucalyptus. They're tall, twisty, and have a peeling or splitting bark that reveals many multicolored blotches beneath.
> 
> ...


Most tree cutting companies (around here) don't care to save wood. They are in the business of literally pulverizing the tree's and why should they want to save the wood? (Their opinions, not mine) It may take a bit of work on your part to get them to agree. Maybe the solution is getting in good with a certain crew, rather than the company. People are always looking for an easy way out of doing all the work they are paid to do. If someone is willing to take some of the wood off their hands, that's less work they have to do, and they still get paid the same price.


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## roman (Sep 28, 2007)

gfixler said:


> *The deadly Chinese Elm*
> 
> I was not expecting to ID this tree this way. At the end of my street is a tiny triangular park - by tiny, I mean maybe 0.2-0.3 acres - lined with what I've been guessing might be some kind of Eucalyptus. They're tall, twisty, and have a peeling or splitting bark that reveals many multicolored blotches beneath.
> 
> ...


The "Ford Explorer" became the "Ford Exploder"


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## Drew1House (Mar 18, 2007)

gfixler said:


> *The deadly Chinese Elm*
> 
> I was not expecting to ID this tree this way. At the end of my street is a tiny triangular park - by tiny, I mean maybe 0.2-0.3 acres - lined with what I've been guessing might be some kind of Eucalyptus. They're tall, twisty, and have a peeling or splitting bark that reveals many multicolored blotches beneath.
> 
> ...


In Utah there are plenty of chinese elms…and you are welcome to cut any of them down. (most owners will not have an issue with these… they are terrible pests) Come and get it!


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## HokieMojo (Mar 11, 2008)

gfixler said:


> *The deadly Chinese Elm*
> 
> I was not expecting to ID this tree this way. At the end of my street is a tiny triangular park - by tiny, I mean maybe 0.2-0.3 acres - lined with what I've been guessing might be some kind of Eucalyptus. They're tall, twisty, and have a peeling or splitting bark that reveals many multicolored blotches beneath.
> 
> ...


You may want to check out some of Darren Nelson's previous blogs. He posted a lot of info about his efforts to try and salvage downed trees. He probably has a bit more capacity than you since he owns a portable sawmill, but you still may find the read interesting if you haven't read it already.


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## GaryK (Jun 25, 2007)

gfixler said:


> *The deadly Chinese Elm*
> 
> I was not expecting to ID this tree this way. At the end of my street is a tiny triangular park - by tiny, I mean maybe 0.2-0.3 acres - lined with what I've been guessing might be some kind of Eucalyptus. They're tall, twisty, and have a peeling or splitting bark that reveals many multicolored blotches beneath.
> 
> ...


I grew up with one of those trees in my back yard. It grows like a weed and you end up with the tiny leaves all over everything.

Ended up taking it out.


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## littlecope (Oct 23, 2008)

gfixler said:


> *The deadly Chinese Elm*
> 
> I was not expecting to ID this tree this way. At the end of my street is a tiny triangular park - by tiny, I mean maybe 0.2-0.3 acres - lined with what I've been guessing might be some kind of Eucalyptus. They're tall, twisty, and have a peeling or splitting bark that reveals many multicolored blotches beneath.
> 
> ...


There's a zen lesson here somewhere. If a tree falls in the…..city, will anyone park near it? ;-) Michael C.


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## Demowen (Feb 5, 2009)

gfixler said:


> *The deadly Chinese Elm*
> 
> I was not expecting to ID this tree this way. At the end of my street is a tiny triangular park - by tiny, I mean maybe 0.2-0.3 acres - lined with what I've been guessing might be some kind of Eucalyptus. They're tall, twisty, and have a peeling or splitting bark that reveals many multicolored blotches beneath.
> 
> ...


the tree looks like something from Dr. Seuss


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## gfixler (Feb 21, 2009)

gfixler said:


> *The deadly Chinese Elm*
> 
> I was not expecting to ID this tree this way. At the end of my street is a tiny triangular park - by tiny, I mean maybe 0.2-0.3 acres - lined with what I've been guessing might be some kind of Eucalyptus. They're tall, twisty, and have a peeling or splitting bark that reveals many multicolored blotches beneath.
> 
> ...


Ric - I think you're onto something there. I drove back and forth by some guys cutting up a bunch of paperbarks last week, too timid to pull over and ask (I'm a little shy, I guess). I finally got fed up with my reluctance and pulled over and just said "Hey guys, can I have some of that wood?" They started throwing all of it to me immediately. I filled the hatch up, and they told me to swing by at 1PM the next day for another tree in the same spot they were cutting down, so I did, and got that, too  Just gotta be more assertive.

roman - I exploded my mom's Explorer in the 90s, too! I ran into a Sears van. Those things are made of solid cast iron, I think 

Drew - Argh! I want 'em. I hear they're pests because of the leaves they drop. Personally, I wouldn't mind. I love leaf piles, unless they're smelly, or sticky or something. Moreover, I love the look of these crazy, twisty trees. They make me feel like I'm in a magical place. I will be happy to take them off your hands. I just need a truck, and more than 0.18 acres, which I'm renting…

HokieMojo - I will check Darren's posts out. Thanks!

Gary - Did you try to use it? Was it pretty inside?

Michael C.- I was wondering what the other people on the block were thinking - the ones down by the other Chinese elms on the same street.

Demowen - you're right! It even has the hair


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## gfixler (Feb 21, 2009)

*trees I know now*

I got to thinking tonight about the trees I've been learning about this past year, and felt like giving myself a quiz to see which ones I could rattle off from memory. I've been learning the genus/species names as I go, too, and sometimes accidentally the family names. Though I've ID'd dozens more than this (lemon, avocado, elms, ashes, tons of gums and palms…), and have read through probably a few hundred in tree books and vats of species listed online from my area in west LA, my folks' area in S. NJ (I know several oaks and maples from there, e.g.), and lots of tropicals (especially while learning about exotic woods), these are the ones I actually have committed to memory from my area. They are the ones I have touched, seen with my own eyes as they passed through all 4 seasons, crushed up and smelled the leaves from, examined bark, branches, flowers, and seed pods from (even planting and nurturing about a half-dozen of them), and can definitely tell from other trees now. Something like a lemon - I know it's a lemon (and that the leaves when torn or crushed smell incredible, like lemon candy), and where a bunch of particular ones are in my neighborhood, but I don't know which lemons they are, and don't even know the scientific names of any lemons. Many trees still fall into this lesser category - the trees I kinda know, but don't really know.

Oh, and the gums… good luck learning all of them. I can point to dozens of eucalyptus species and say with no doubt "that's a gum!" but I can only ID roughly 2 species from them, and I'm not even 100% sure that I'm not really seeing something from the 700 or so of which I've never seen any photos. There is no comprehensive online guide, or even any pictures at all online for most of them. They also hybridize with one another easily, and go through dramatic changes in leaf shape and size and bark colors and textures that all cross paths with one another at different times in their lives, so even experts have quite a chore ahead of them when figuring out which species they're seeing. The leaves of many (most?) are very round - almost circles - when young, but later in life stretch to many times longer than their width, taking on a falcate (like a falcon's claw) or lanceolate (like a spear, or lance head) shape.

Anyway, here's what I could actually type out from memory, and it's a list of 26 species I recognize often in my neighborhood and surrounding areas here in west LA:

Jacaranda (Jacaranda mimosifolia)
Indian Laurel Fig/Green Island Fig/Chinese Banyan (Ficus microcarpa)
Purple Orchid Tree (Bauhinia variegata)
Purple Leaf Plum (Prunus cerasifera)
Chinese Evergreen Pear (Pyrus kamakawii)
Chinese Flame Tree (Koelreuteria bipinnata)
American Sweet Gum (Liquidambar styraciflua)
Norfolk Island Pine (Araucaria heterophylla)
Tulip Poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera)
Red Ironbark/Mugga (Eucalpytus sideroxylon)
Chinese elm (Ulmus parvifolia)
Hollywood Juniper (Juniperus chinensis)
Paperbark (Melaleuca quinquenervia)
Weeping Bottlebrush (Callistemon viminalis)
California Pepper Tree (Schinus molle)
Fern Pine (Podocarpus gracilior)
Coast Coral (Erythrina caffra)
Naked Coral (Erythrina coralloides)
Benjamin Fig/Weeping Fig (Ficus Benjamina)
European Olive (Olea europaea)
Gold Medallion Tree (Cassia Leptophylla)
English Walnut (Juglans regia)
Italian Cypress (Cupressus sempervirens)
California Sycamore (Platanus racemosa)
Bald Cypress (Taxodium distichum)
Pink Melaleuca/Pink Honey-Myrtle (Melaleuca nesophila)

I admit I completely forgot the species name of the Naked Coral (would have remembered it if I wasn't quizzing myself, I think - too much pressure  and Pink Honey-Myrtle (I've only seen one, next door to me, and learned later that the twisty trees at the beach near where I used to work are also these, but they're still very rare to me, and not heavily ingrained yet), and the California Pepper Tree, being a very recent addition to my brain was a complete blank for both genus and species names. I also couldn't remember if Norfolk Island Pine was Auracaria (my guess) or Araucaria (the right word - my second guess), but there you have it. Those are the ones I see all the time. It's quite a variety of sizes, shapes, smells, textures, and colors, as trees go, unlike the spread of trees back east where I grew up, where in winter they all kind of look like the same trees divided into two groups - deciduous and evergreen - and aren't really strikingly different inside. There are no dark woods there, though I may have found a walnut or two.

Missing from my list above are the many palms and conifers surrounding me. I've not really delved into them yet, though I did spend some of one night last year going through a huge list of palms I found on a website, which I promptly forgot entirely. I'm not super interested in them as most are not good for woodworking, and we don't seem to have the kinds that are, like black palm, which I'd love to find a big chunk of. It has a dark brown color with black lines running all through it, like very regular spalting lines. Too, I'm not very into conifers, as while the wood is great for building, it's often too resin-filled to work without pitch setting, which I can't do here, and a lot of it is rather boring inside. Certainly there are gorgeous exceptions, and I want to try them, too, but mostly it's soft stuff that's pale and featureless. That said, my list is probably 90% or better of what I see all the time. There are a few remarkable standouts that I've not ID'd yet, but see often enough. I've got them in my sights, though. They'll be solved eventually. I almost don't want to, because I like having a little mystery still. As I drive all around LA, Hollywood, Burbank, Santa Monica, Venice, Culver City…, I know almost everything I'm seeing. I do wonder, however, if I'm just looking past the ones I don't know in favor of recognizing and naming the ones I do.

I've learned about a number of plants along the journey, like the Princess flower, or Glory flower, which can grow into a small shrub or spindly tree and has strikingly rich purple flowers, and the Pride of Madeira - another shrub-like, spreading plant with spikes of purple flowers and stems that are thick and a bit woody at the base - and the remarkable Angel Trumpet (Brugmansia arborea) that forms a small (though sometimes quite tall) shrub covered in huge, yellow, trumpet-like flowers that all hang straight down toward the ground, but I'll stick to talking big trees in here


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## lew (Feb 13, 2008)

gfixler said:


> *trees I know now*
> 
> I got to thinking tonight about the trees I've been learning about this past year, and felt like giving myself a quiz to see which ones I could rattle off from memory. I've been learning the genus/species names as I go, too, and sometimes accidentally the family names. Though I've ID'd dozens more than this (lemon, avocado, elms, ashes, tons of gums and palms…), and have read through probably a few hundred in tree books and vats of species listed online from my area in west LA, my folks' area in S. NJ (I know several oaks and maples from there, e.g.), and lots of tropicals (especially while learning about exotic woods), these are the ones I actually have committed to memory from my area. They are the ones I have touched, seen with my own eyes as they passed through all 4 seasons, crushed up and smelled the leaves from, examined bark, branches, flowers, and seed pods from (even planting and nurturing about a half-dozen of them), and can definitely tell from other trees now. Something like a lemon - I know it's a lemon (and that the leaves when torn or crushed smell incredible, like lemon candy), and where a bunch of particular ones are in my neighborhood, but I don't know which lemons they are, and don't even know the scientific names of any lemons. Many trees still fall into this lesser category - the trees I kinda know, but don't really know.
> 
> ...


Gary,
You certainly have gained a wealth of knowledge! Man, I have a tough time telling a pine from a maple tree let alone knowing their Latin name.

Lew


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## HokieMojo (Mar 11, 2008)

gfixler said:


> *trees I know now*
> 
> I got to thinking tonight about the trees I've been learning about this past year, and felt like giving myself a quiz to see which ones I could rattle off from memory. I've been learning the genus/species names as I go, too, and sometimes accidentally the family names. Though I've ID'd dozens more than this (lemon, avocado, elms, ashes, tons of gums and palms…), and have read through probably a few hundred in tree books and vats of species listed online from my area in west LA, my folks' area in S. NJ (I know several oaks and maples from there, e.g.), and lots of tropicals (especially while learning about exotic woods), these are the ones I actually have committed to memory from my area. They are the ones I have touched, seen with my own eyes as they passed through all 4 seasons, crushed up and smelled the leaves from, examined bark, branches, flowers, and seed pods from (even planting and nurturing about a half-dozen of them), and can definitely tell from other trees now. Something like a lemon - I know it's a lemon (and that the leaves when torn or crushed smell incredible, like lemon candy), and where a bunch of particular ones are in my neighborhood, but I don't know which lemons they are, and don't even know the scientific names of any lemons. Many trees still fall into this lesser category - the trees I kinda know, but don't really know.
> 
> ...


I keep trying to learn more, but it is such a voluminous task to try to remember so many types, even within our home regions. for now, I guess I'm just sticking with enjoying the photos when i see them.


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## Swede (Feb 19, 2010)

gfixler said:


> *trees I know now*
> 
> I got to thinking tonight about the trees I've been learning about this past year, and felt like giving myself a quiz to see which ones I could rattle off from memory. I've been learning the genus/species names as I go, too, and sometimes accidentally the family names. Though I've ID'd dozens more than this (lemon, avocado, elms, ashes, tons of gums and palms…), and have read through probably a few hundred in tree books and vats of species listed online from my area in west LA, my folks' area in S. NJ (I know several oaks and maples from there, e.g.), and lots of tropicals (especially while learning about exotic woods), these are the ones I actually have committed to memory from my area. They are the ones I have touched, seen with my own eyes as they passed through all 4 seasons, crushed up and smelled the leaves from, examined bark, branches, flowers, and seed pods from (even planting and nurturing about a half-dozen of them), and can definitely tell from other trees now. Something like a lemon - I know it's a lemon (and that the leaves when torn or crushed smell incredible, like lemon candy), and where a bunch of particular ones are in my neighborhood, but I don't know which lemons they are, and don't even know the scientific names of any lemons. Many trees still fall into this lesser category - the trees I kinda know, but don't really know.
> 
> ...


I have a Cook Shack smoker and if I knew more about trees I would be able to pick out different fallen trees and branches to use for smoking meats. Such as apple, pear, hickory …

Sounds like you fell on an interesting hobby. (Pun intended)


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## mmh (Mar 17, 2008)

gfixler said:


> *trees I know now*
> 
> I got to thinking tonight about the trees I've been learning about this past year, and felt like giving myself a quiz to see which ones I could rattle off from memory. I've been learning the genus/species names as I go, too, and sometimes accidentally the family names. Though I've ID'd dozens more than this (lemon, avocado, elms, ashes, tons of gums and palms…), and have read through probably a few hundred in tree books and vats of species listed online from my area in west LA, my folks' area in S. NJ (I know several oaks and maples from there, e.g.), and lots of tropicals (especially while learning about exotic woods), these are the ones I actually have committed to memory from my area. They are the ones I have touched, seen with my own eyes as they passed through all 4 seasons, crushed up and smelled the leaves from, examined bark, branches, flowers, and seed pods from (even planting and nurturing about a half-dozen of them), and can definitely tell from other trees now. Something like a lemon - I know it's a lemon (and that the leaves when torn or crushed smell incredible, like lemon candy), and where a bunch of particular ones are in my neighborhood, but I don't know which lemons they are, and don't even know the scientific names of any lemons. Many trees still fall into this lesser category - the trees I kinda know, but don't really know.
> 
> ...


Very impressive info. I don't know what Naked Coral looks like. Any photos available? I have an aged burl of "Mugga" I purchased from an Australian source. I'll post this to see if you or anyone can confirm it's ID.

I don't see any Manzanita. My sources are from northern and southern CA and they are both quite different in density and color. I found this to be quite interesting, as never really recognized how the climate changes the growth of the tree so drastically before my encounter.


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## degoose (Mar 20, 2009)

gfixler said:


> *trees I know now*
> 
> I got to thinking tonight about the trees I've been learning about this past year, and felt like giving myself a quiz to see which ones I could rattle off from memory. I've been learning the genus/species names as I go, too, and sometimes accidentally the family names. Though I've ID'd dozens more than this (lemon, avocado, elms, ashes, tons of gums and palms…), and have read through probably a few hundred in tree books and vats of species listed online from my area in west LA, my folks' area in S. NJ (I know several oaks and maples from there, e.g.), and lots of tropicals (especially while learning about exotic woods), these are the ones I actually have committed to memory from my area. They are the ones I have touched, seen with my own eyes as they passed through all 4 seasons, crushed up and smelled the leaves from, examined bark, branches, flowers, and seed pods from (even planting and nurturing about a half-dozen of them), and can definitely tell from other trees now. Something like a lemon - I know it's a lemon (and that the leaves when torn or crushed smell incredible, like lemon candy), and where a bunch of particular ones are in my neighborhood, but I don't know which lemons they are, and don't even know the scientific names of any lemons. Many trees still fall into this lesser category - the trees I kinda know, but don't really know.
> 
> ...


mmh probably…"mulga"


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## gfixler (Feb 21, 2009)

gfixler said:


> *trees I know now*
> 
> I got to thinking tonight about the trees I've been learning about this past year, and felt like giving myself a quiz to see which ones I could rattle off from memory. I've been learning the genus/species names as I go, too, and sometimes accidentally the family names. Though I've ID'd dozens more than this (lemon, avocado, elms, ashes, tons of gums and palms…), and have read through probably a few hundred in tree books and vats of species listed online from my area in west LA, my folks' area in S. NJ (I know several oaks and maples from there, e.g.), and lots of tropicals (especially while learning about exotic woods), these are the ones I actually have committed to memory from my area. They are the ones I have touched, seen with my own eyes as they passed through all 4 seasons, crushed up and smelled the leaves from, examined bark, branches, flowers, and seed pods from (even planting and nurturing about a half-dozen of them), and can definitely tell from other trees now. Something like a lemon - I know it's a lemon (and that the leaves when torn or crushed smell incredible, like lemon candy), and where a bunch of particular ones are in my neighborhood, but I don't know which lemons they are, and don't even know the scientific names of any lemons. Many trees still fall into this lesser category - the trees I kinda know, but don't really know.
> 
> ...


lew - One of the problems I was seeming to have back home this holiday season was that oak trees can hybridize with each other, so you'll find a bizarre pile of leaves that look like a few different species. Even with my new field guide (Christmas present  helping me solve some, it certainly didn't list all 400+ species of oaks, so I couldn't know if the leaf it looked a lot like was a positive ID, or if I was seeing a hybrid, or if there was a similarly-leafed oak I just didn't have in my book. I really wish I could get my hands on comprehensive material.

Hokie - I know! It's ridiculous to even want to learn them all, though I do  I was actually really disappointed to see that I only have about 25 or so trees firmly in my head after this year. I mean, there's tons more information up there, but I thought I'd think of at least 50, yet the next day I'm still not thinking of others in my area that I definitely know. The International Wood Collector's Society (it's a real thing) claims over 100,000 species in the world, and lots of those you'll never see, because some only grow in a particular, inaccessible, or difficult-to-reach place, or somewhere surrounded by warring factions, or in places very inhospitable to humans. What a crazy hobby.

Swede - they sell smokers at my local Home Depot, and I definitely stood there for a long while pondering the implications, and if it was worth it. However, I don't think we have a lot of good smoking woods here. That's something the north-east really has on us. I've never seen apple here, or mesquite, or even hickory. I have seen some various kinds of ash, but I don't know if that's good for smoking.

mmh - I have some pics from May of last year of one on my street here. It was in bloom at the time. They're all just starting to bloom again now, so clearly they keep their gorgeous orange-red flowers for some time, unlike those Chinese evergreen pears that look like crap all year long, then explode in balls of white flowers all over for about a week or two, and then lose all their pretty white petals in the yearly wind storms and look like crap again for another year  The one thing I didn't do, thanks to laziness, was get out there and get equally comprehensive pictures of this tree in the fall and winter when it was completely covered in huge, beautiful green leaves. They look kind of like a heart, or pointy shovel-head, and the bigger ones (and there are many of them) are maybe 8" long and about that wide. They coat the whole thing and hide all but the trunk and are very pretty. The leaves have been yellowing since winter and are falling off now as the blooms start to come out. The leaves look sick and dying. I may get some pics of that just to complete the set, and then get out there when the leaves come out later this year again to fill out the annual profile. It's hard to find pics of the leaves of the tree, because it's harder for people to identify when it's not in bloom, and people really love the red flowers, which come out as the leaves are disappearing. Almost all shots are of the trees in full bloom, and fully leafless.


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## gfixler (Feb 21, 2009)

*North Hollywood Park*

On my first few drives to my new job way up in North Hollywood I passed by a large, grassy park loaded up with - by my standards - enormous trees. I vowed to check them out, and on Wednesday of last week, I took a lunchtime walk down there. It's only a few blocks, though they are large, city blocks. It's probably not a full 10-minute walk, so it's not bad.

Looking it up later, I learned that it's North Hollywood Park. The Days of Our Lives cast did a 'green week' thing there a few years back. That's about all I could find on it. Here it is on Google Maps.

Large trees greeted me right away at the Tujunga/Magnolia intersection. You can see a tiny man on a bench beneath the one in the center, behind the yellow fire hydrant. Nothing approaches this size nearer my home in west LA (Culver City/Venice/Marina Del Rey/Santa Monica):



A closer pic of the guy:



There's a nice, wide, dirt path around the triangular park that has bikers, joggers, and dog walkers on it throughout the day. I drive up this road in the morning, back home in the evening, and now I've stopped by at lunch, and usually I see about 15-20 people just on the stretch here. This was the emptiest I'd seen it:



I didn't know what these were while taking this photo, but later realized they were black walnuts. Now I'm not sure, as the leaves seem to better match butternut. I'm pretty sure they're in the Juglans genus, either way:



This one was over 3' in diameter:



It had quite a canopy, of which this shows only about 1/3rd or so:



I would have been thrilled to make off with this missing limb, probably 2'x3' in size:



Note the little guy hanging off the trunk at the bottom here:



This is one of those parks where the squirrels have become quite accustomed to humans:





Here's one of the fallen leaves:





And here are more of the wonderful, twisty limbs:





The big reason I'd wanted to come to the park was what this family is looking at - Eucalyptus. In particular, lining the street I drive on each morning are a particular euc with currently tons of red blooms. I've seen some online eucs with such floral plumage, but never any up close, and I was keen to get over there to investigate.



You'll note in the above shot the person on the right of the path, with the huge trunk next to them. I got sidetracked as I neared that one:



This particular species dots the landscape here, and is obvious with its coloration, distinctive peeling (different than all the other peeling eucs in the area), spiral growth, brownish limbs, and the particular leaf shape, coloration, and fullness. In particular, though, the bark is just really neat:



The leaves look almost like bright plastic:



But back to the trunk 



I felt very small next to this thing, which is saying something. Nothing ever makes me feel tiny:





And here's my hand for a little bit of scale:



I wonder if they grow like that in the forests of Australia, or if this has gotten so big because it's been by itself for a long time, with lots of room to spread.

On the way to the red blooms, I passed a path with purple plums and what I think were large sycamores:



Pretty sure this is a sycamore. All of them in this park, and the ones I've seen in Burbank parks (Griffith) lean hard in one direction:



I spotted what at a distance looked like coast live oaks, so I went to have a look. They're always so pretty online:



Closer up, the leaves were a match for CLO:



This is what I expect from my live oaks - lots of bendy, long branches spidering all over:



The 50gal barrel trash can gives some good scale. These are big trees.



More friends:







This shot almost looks sideways, the branches are so long.



I would love to walk through a forest of these, blotting out the sky:





I don't know about coast live oaks, but regular live oaks have curved branches like this, and that's what made them great for ship builders. Instead of trying to bend or cut a beam, the old craftsmen would simply find a trunk or branch with the bent shape they needed and shave away the excess, kind of like this guy did with curved pieces of black locust. It also means the grain runs continuously up the piece, instead of cutting a curved shape from a wide piece and having grain lines run down the long lengths, but across the short parts of the curve, creating fragile points.



Another woodland pal on a sycamore:



Very expectant these little guys…



Back to the coast live oaks, here's my hand for some scale:



They are apparently quite messy trees:



But that doesn't bother the squirrels:



This guy came within about 6" of my left foot:

http://www.flickr.com/apps/video/stewart.swf?v=71377

One last CLO shot:



Finally I made it to the blooming eucalypts. I was eager to see the red blooms up close. It's nice to have goals 



Red blooms!



They won't do this for too long, so I was glad I had the opportunity to come see them this year.







Pods galore:



Blooms and pods:



The ground was covered in seed pods, too:



The pods start out light green:



Blooms on the ground:



Some bloom closeups:









And now some nice closeups of the pods. All Eucalyptus pods, though highly varied in shape, size, and coloration, have 2 halves. The bottom, cup-like portion attached to the stem is the calyx. The lid-like top is called the operculum, and this always pops off to allow the flowers to spill out. Eventually the blooms fall away and the remaining cup grows seeds and showers them down. I've had a few pods that were closed the day I brought them home, then sprang open overnight and sprinkled hundreds of tiny seeds, each about the size of a pepper flake. Each pod can hold dozens.





"Eucalyptus" comes from the Greek words "eu" (ευ), meaning "well" and "kalyptos" (καλυπτος), meaning "covered." "Well-covered" refers to each little flower pot (calyx) that hides the flower until the lid (operculum) falls off. Okay, that's enough learning for now 



I'm pretty sure these are red ironbark, aka mugga, aka mugga ironbark (Eucalyptus sideroxylon). Again, from the Greek "sider" ("iron") and "xulon" ("wood") which often transforms to xylo-, we get a species name that means "iron wood." It's hard stuff. Here's a good shot of the pods in various stages:



Dead blooms:



If anything, the bark doesn't seem quite right for E. sideroxylon, but it might be within the range:







It's a weepy tree:





Cool trunk:



Finally, I do NOT envy this guy his job:



That is a lot of grass.

I loved the park, and the trees, and I plan to head back every now and then and wander among the old giants. It's very relaxing. I felt quite good the rest of the day at work knowing the old-timers were over there, and that now we had met


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

gfixler said:


> *North Hollywood Park*
> 
> On my first few drives to my new job way up in North Hollywood I passed by a large, grassy park loaded up with - by my standards - enormous trees. I vowed to check them out, and on Wednesday of last week, I took a lunchtime walk down there. It's only a few blocks, though they are large, city blocks. It's probably not a full 10-minute walk, so it's not bad.
> 
> ...


Wow thats a lot of info


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## gfixler (Feb 21, 2009)

gfixler said:


> *North Hollywood Park*
> 
> On my first few drives to my new job way up in North Hollywood I passed by a large, grassy park loaded up with - by my standards - enormous trees. I vowed to check them out, and on Wednesday of last week, I took a lunchtime walk down there. It's only a few blocks, though they are large, city blocks. It's probably not a full 10-minute walk, so it's not bad.
> 
> ...


It was a lot of tree, Jim! I was going to break it up, but with less free moments these days, I decided to just get it all into one.


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

gfixler said:


> *North Hollywood Park*
> 
> On my first few drives to my new job way up in North Hollywood I passed by a large, grassy park loaded up with - by my standards - enormous trees. I vowed to check them out, and on Wednesday of last week, I took a lunchtime walk down there. It's only a few blocks, though they are large, city blocks. It's probably not a full 10-minute walk, so it's not bad.
> 
> ...


Gary, ever think you missed you calling by not being a forester?


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## gfixler (Feb 21, 2009)

gfixler said:


> *North Hollywood Park*
> 
> On my first few drives to my new job way up in North Hollywood I passed by a large, grassy park loaded up with - by my standards - enormous trees. I vowed to check them out, and on Wednesday of last week, I took a lunchtime walk down there. It's only a few blocks, though they are large, city blocks. It's probably not a full 10-minute walk, so it's not bad.
> 
> ...


Actually, Topamax, I have too many hobbies, and I get this involved in all of them. I'm a bit obsessive. Woodworking and dendrology sure have taken a front seat in the last year, though.


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## degoose (Mar 20, 2009)

gfixler said:


> *North Hollywood Park*
> 
> On my first few drives to my new job way up in North Hollywood I passed by a large, grassy park loaded up with - by my standards - enormous trees. I vowed to check them out, and on Wednesday of last week, I took a lunchtime walk down there. It's only a few blocks, though they are large, city blocks. It's probably not a full 10-minute walk, so it's not bad.
> 
> ...


Gary This is my back yard and some of the GUM trees… aka eucalypts… notice the size of the shed.
http://w662.photobucket.com/pbwidget.swf?pbwurl=http%3A%2F%2Fw662.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fuu349%2Fdegoose%2F61a6e4f1.pbw
.
I am fortunate to have a nature corridor behind me... cant be built out nor can the trees be cut down...


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

gfixler said:


> *North Hollywood Park*
> 
> On my first few drives to my new job way up in North Hollywood I passed by a large, grassy park loaded up with - by my standards - enormous trees. I vowed to check them out, and on Wednesday of last week, I took a lunchtime walk down there. It's only a few blocks, though they are large, city blocks. It's probably not a full 10-minute walk, so it's not bad.
> 
> ...


That sounds almost like the making of dendures ;-))


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## tyskkvinna (Mar 23, 2010)

gfixler said:


> *North Hollywood Park*
> 
> On my first few drives to my new job way up in North Hollywood I passed by a large, grassy park loaded up with - by my standards - enormous trees. I vowed to check them out, and on Wednesday of last week, I took a lunchtime walk down there. It's only a few blocks, though they are large, city blocks. It's probably not a full 10-minute walk, so it's not bad.
> 
> ...


Definitely sycamore. They grow like weeds here, and are popular with the kiddos because they're famous for not growing straight (and therefore, are easy to climb!)


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## FirehouseWoodworking (Jun 9, 2009)

gfixler said:


> *North Hollywood Park*
> 
> On my first few drives to my new job way up in North Hollywood I passed by a large, grassy park loaded up with - by my standards - enormous trees. I vowed to check them out, and on Wednesday of last week, I took a lunchtime walk down there. It's only a few blocks, though they are large, city blocks. It's probably not a full 10-minute walk, so it's not bad.
> 
> ...


Nicely done, Gary!


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