Bottlebrush buckeye

Tree # 87b Bottlebrush buckeye

We recently moved (June 17) to Tutwiler in the Evergreen Vollintine neighborhood in midtown. Our next door neighbors Steve and Rose have a flowering tree that was hard not to notice. It is a bottlebrush buckeye (Aesculus parviflora). In mid June it was in full bloom. It is said that hummingbirds come to the flowers. This may be true here also since my wife saw some hummingbirds in our garden visiting red ginger flowers.

June 18, 2015 the greenery with just a few flower spikes in the top center

We have a screened in porch that is the closest we will get to the legendary southern verandah. In front of the porch there are three tiers of beds that suggest all kinds of possibilities, however my wife Susan reminds me that we need a low maintenance garden as we are not particularly hobbit-like in our nature.

From the street the buckeye flowers seem to be seeking the next roof

A sky background shows off the brush-like character of the flower stalks

A few con trails add to the composition with the leaves in dark relief

I had posted buckeye photos before (see tree #57 red buckeye April 18, 2014 at this link and tree #87 bottlebrush buckeye July 5&13, 2014 at this link).

Vine #6    Crossvine 

I found this vine covering a mailbox on Summer Grove near the intersection with Morning grove (East of Sanga Rd. in Cordova). The leaves have veins branching from a central vein so they are definitely not clematis that has more parallel veins. The tendrils are also finer than clematis tendrils. I have not been able to find a matching image and the description of vines from the southeast do not seem to match it very closely. If you know what this vine is please leave a comment. I did ask some friends of ours who live near it and drive by it every day if it flowers and what color the flowers are. (see below for the answer)

Cousin It in plant form

June 7, 2015 Do you want to put your hand in there?

Looking north along Summer Grove

Closeup of the leaves and new growth
 

My friend John went back and found a flower on July 17, 2015.

A buttery five-petalled flower with a vase-like base

Closer view looking down the throat. Imagine you are a bee.

Back to give some perspective

This finally allowed me to identify this vine as crossvine from the trumpet-creeper family. Thanks John. For a mailbox vine this seems superior to clematis that is forever falling over onto the ground.