A trip to the Memphis Botanic Garden in the winter

On Dec. 23, 2013 I went to the Memphis Botanic Garden on Cherry Road to take pictures of evergreens. I found more than evergreens to see, and I met Nick, the curator of the Japanese Garden. He was working on a Japanese black pine, removing needles from the base of the branches in order to enhance the growth at the ends. There was a Japanese term for this process but my Japanese is non-existent so I do not remember it. He was also inspecting the tips of the branches where there were 3-5 buds growing. In the spring he will remove some buds (often the largest one) to encourage the branching and growth of the other buds. This shapes the tree in the typical Japanese Garden style with flat planes of needles separated by a few inches of open space. (And you thought that was by accident?)  

Tree #26 Japanese black pine

Japanese black pine, Pinus thunbergii at the Japanese Garden 

Tree #27 Cedar of Lebanon Cedrus libani 'pendula'

Cedar of Lebanon in the Japanese Garden Dec. 23, 2013

Behind the Japanese black pine on the left side there is a mostly vertical cedar of Lebanon. There is not much width to this tree. It almost seems to be walking with arms in front (right) and a fantastical hat on its head. 

Closeup on the trunk

This tree is very similar to the Blue Atlas Cedar shown later.

Bristly blue needles line the branches in clusters.

One thing notable about trees in the Japanese garden, they all seem to have their own nationality. The next pictures are of Chinafir. 

Tree #28 Chinafir 

A small grove of Chinafir behind the pavilion at the Japanese Garden Dec. 23, 2013

These trees are quite large and do fairly well in the Memphis climate. These are a surrogates for my fondness for another tree the Aurucaria or monkey puzzle tree. I have not found an Aurucaria in Memphis. They grow in Seattle very well but that is an issue of zonal denial set for a later post. 

The view from below shows the size and close camaraderie of these trees

Cones and foliage of the Chinafir, Cunninghamia lanceolata

Tree #29 Chinese juniper

You may recall tree #14 Juniperus chinensis torulosa or Torulosa juniper. Here we see a relative also in the Japanese Garden. 

These two trees are very open and spread out with branches low to the ground or even on the ground. This is quite different from the compact hedges of the Chinese juniper 'torulosa' trees on Humphries Blvd. Both do have the twisted, windblown look.

Closeup of the Chinese juniper cones and foliage, Dec. 23, 2013

Tree #30 Japanese red pine Pinus densiflora 'Oculus Draconis'

Is the yellow color due to winter stress? We hope for a greener healthier look in the spring.

The Oculus Draconis (dragon's eye) name refers to alternating green and yellow bands on each needle. When viewed from the branch end this creates concentric circles of yellow against a green background thus the dragon's eye.

Tree #31 Dwarf Alberta spruce Picea glauca 'conica'

A soft feathery canopy covers this Dwarf Alberta spruce.

A dense thicket of needles is inviting for a touch.

There is a practice in Japan, perhaps in some more remote areas, of forest bathing, running through the trees naked, probably in Japanese cedar forests (see below). The Dwarf Alberta spruce looks like another option for forest bathing. It almost looks like moss.

Tree #32 Hinoki falsecypress Chamaecyparis obtusa 'filicoides'

The dark green needles against the reddish bark and sparse foliage makes this a noticeable tree. It almost seems undressed. The open form is similar to a ginkgo. The filicoides variety is a shrub or small tree to about 20 feet.

Hinoki falsecypress branch against variegated undercover.

Shinto temples in Japan are built from Hinoki cypress. It is tradition to reconstruct all the shrines of the Jingu temple at Ise every 20 years in a ceremony called Shikinensenngu. This requires a forest of 10,000 cypress trees. The old timbers are reused in rebuilding other temple gates and the famous Uji Bridge over the Isuzu River (also rebuilt every 20 years).
The 62nd rebuilding took place in 2013. The first was in 692. There have been periods of interruption. 

Tree #33 white pine?

unidentified pine

Needles about 4-5 inches, 5 per bundle, possibly white pine

You can see the branches are added in rows, typically one per year.

This tree was not identified in the garden. It was to the west of the Japanese Garden wall and entrance. Relatively few pines have five needles per bundle so this may be a white pine.

Confused plants blooming in December

Tree #34 Higan cherry Prunus subhirtela 'autumnalis'

This tree was at the south end of the lake and it had several flowers on it. It looked like a Yoshino cherry that blooms in march along Cherry Road and in the garden.

There was another cherry blooming like this at the entrance to the Japanese Garden and this one was labeled as shown above.

Tree #35 Snow Flurry Camelia

Another atypical bloomer in late Dec.

This fits with a neighbor's purple azalea that has been blooming all fall and up past Thanksgiving. 

Tree #36 Coffin tree Taiwania cryptomerioides

Near Daffodil Hill east of the Japanese Garden

Closeup of the foliage

Taiwania is the tallest Asian tree, now protected from harvesting. It is in the cypress family and is related to the Chinafir shown earlier, the Japanese cedar (next), the giant redwoods of California and the Alaskan cedar (later on this post). This one is only about 8 feet high, and growth is slow.

Tree #37 Japanese cedar Cryptomeria japonica

Japanese cedars standing guard at the entrance to the Japanese Garden, Dec. 23, 2013

Soft hanging branches of Cryptomeria invite a touch.

Tree #38 Weeping Alaskan cedar Chamaecyparis nootkatensis pendula

From the pacific northwest, this tree is out of its zone, but pendula is a hardy cultivar.

The tree makes an valuable fragrance sesquiterpene called nootkatone. A terpene synthase (valencene synthase) and a cytochrome P450 are involved in this pathway. Patents are sought and secrecy is requested due to the competitive nature of the fragrance industry. A creation story is given for this tree in Hilary Stewart's book "Cedar" and recounted in Wikipedia. The trees were formed from three women tricked by raven to run into the mountains (see the link for more details and the reference). 


Tree #39 Weeping blue Atlas cedar

This spreading tree has been lit for Christmas

Closeup of the weeping blue Atlas cedar

Tree #40 Blue Atlas cedar Cedrus atlantica glauca

In the conifer collection north of the rose garden

A couple of nice blue atlas cedars. These trees suffer in Memphis from ice storms that often break off their top growing leader branch. That is why many around town have a flat top. These trees come from the Atlas Mountains in Africa. I have a favorite blue Atlas cedar tree on the University of Washington campus in Seattle. Just being there under its branches restores the spirit. 

The trunk of the larger tree has sent out many low branches making one tempted to climb up.

Another view of this inspiring tree.

Closeup of the needles, compare to cedar of Lebanon tree #27.

Tree #41 Globe arborvitae

We replaced a holly outside our kitchen window with a globe arborvitae because the holly got so large it blocked out the window. The globe arborvitae did the same thing. Here you can see why.

Tree #42 weeping spruce

At the entrance to the Botanical Garden there are two of these newly planted weeping spruce. These are really northern trees and it remains to be seen if they are able to survive in Memphis. No ID plate is included so the exact name is not known.

Closeup of the weeping spruce.

These trees were gone in spring 2016.

Trees with unusual pods and berries

Today is Dec. 15, 2013, a time for the annual Lessons and Carols at St. John's Episcopal Church. We leave in an hour to attend this seasonal feast for the ear. One of my favorite carols "In the Bleak Midwinter" fits the mood of the early part of the day, rather overcast and in a string of cold days. Perhaps we will hear that one tonight. 

Tree #19 Goldenrain tree

Outside another Episcopal church (St. Mary's Episcopal Cathedral) I took this winter shot of a goldenrain tree. This tree is on the point where Poplar and Alabama meet. Why this rather

Rayner's tree:  Koelreuteria paniculata (goldenrain tree)

plain tree on this winter's day? The tree is linked to Rayner Christopher. Rayner was a longtime member of St. Mary's, mother of identical twins Lydia and Aubin Christopher, extraordinary cook and purveyor of the Sunday parish hall offerings. These delectables, I am sure, were responsible for many a pound on many a parishioner, including me. Rayner died in the spring May 25, 2009, after battling esophageal cancer. Her funeral was held at St. Mary's on June 3 while this tree was in bloom. David Adams suggested calling this Rayner's tree. I will add a flowering picture of this tree when the spring comes.

The pods are called lanterns and they grow in large clusters.  There are no leaves on this tree now, just the lanterns. A close up is shown below. In the spring, the tree is a mass of yellow flowers that lead to these clusters of seed pods.

Goldenraintree pods St. Mary's Episcopal Cathedral Dec. 15, 2013 Poplar and Alabama

seed pods closeup

The tree is originally from China. The first one in the United States was planted by Thomas Jefferson in his gardens at Monticello around 1809. The seeds were a gift from his friend Madame de Tessé. 

Update on Rayner's tree: photographed May 30, 2014 in flower.

View showing last years seed pods still on the tree, with the author's truck in the background

An individual flower spike that becomes the seed pods shown above (June 1, 2014)

The whole tree with St. Mary's Episcopal Cathedral behind (June 1, 2014)

The first picture above has a part of a conifer in front of the winter version of the golden rain tree. Needles can be seen in the picture so this was a pine, possible a white pine. This winter an ice storm badly damaged this pine and it had to be cut down, such a loss. I am sorry I did not have a picture of it before it was cut. Here is the stump.

Remains of the pine at the point of Poplar and Alabama, June 1, 2014  RIP

Tree #20 Chinaberry

Another Asian tree found in Memphis is the Chinaberry, a member of the mahogany family. 

Chinaberry on Manassas (east side of street about a block south of North Parkway) Dec. 15, 2013

The tree stands out in winter with its white berries. A near shot and a closeup are included. 

Chinaberry fruit (poisonous)

The tree is considered invasive in Florida and Texas and is viewed as a weed. The berries are poisonous. I will try to add a springtime shot with purple flowers in bloom.

Chinaberries dropping on the pavement, May 4, 2014

New purple flowers opening with berries from last year still on the tree (May 4, 2014)

Tree #21 Crepe myrtle

A common site in Memphis gardens is the crepe myrtle. About every other house has these attractive hardy plants that thrive in the 95 degree summers. No real attention is required for these star plants. For some unclear reason the crepe myrtle has attracted the unrelenting attention of the gardener to prune them viciously to mere stumps. The shrubs look like they will surely die from the attack, but they come back stronger than ever. Winter leaves them with seed pods open on the bare branches.

Crepe myrtle in the parking lot behind Holy Spirit Catholic Church (off Hickory Crest)  Dec. 15, 2013

Crepe myrtle pods

Tree #22 Sycamore

Driving around in the winter, sycamores stand out with their white bark on the upper parts of the tree. These are also trees with odd seed pods, spherical about the size of a golf ball. I would have taken a closeup but they are few and very far off the ground this time of year. 

Sycamore, one of two in this yard on Candlewood east of Massey.

 This home had two in the front yard with many of the leaves still on the trees. 

The partner tree Dec. 15, 2013. The bleak morning turned sunny afternoon.

The sycamore leaves can be very large, almost a foot across. The carpet of leaves under these trees was thick and without much of a break (in the neighbors yard). 

Sycamore leaves

Actually, such big leaves are easy to remove. It is the small willow oak leaves that are almost impossible to pick up. They resist lawnmower collection, raking, blowers and even yard vacuums. Once they are enmeshed in the grass blades the only way out is decomposition. I know this because my next door neighbor has two very big willow oaks that overhang my driveway.

Sycamores can be found in the wild in woody areas around Memphis. 

White bark of a sycamore with some seed pods still attached very high up. Dec. 15, 2013

This tree is located just off the access road behind Holy Spirit Catholic Church in the Greentrees neighborhood. The lower part of the trunk retains the greenish and flaky bark. 

Lower sycamore trunk

The seed pods must drop early in the year, since there were none found on top of the leaf litter below this tree. 

I seem to remember a particularly fine lunch at a Napa Valley winery, I think it was Beaulieu Vineyards. The lunch was served under espaliered trees that I think were sycamores (but it was many years ago). The roof of living tree branches over our heads was very pleasant. Of course, the wine had nothing to do with that memory. 

Tree #23 American holly

Memphis has many types of holly. In our yard we have at least two different types. This picture was taken across from Hutchison School at Massey and Old Orchard. The trees were covered in red berries and very fine in the afternoon sun. 

Twin hollies flanking a house Dec. 15, 2013

Here is a closer view of the left tree. 

Closeup of the holly berries

An appropriate tree for the day of Lessons and Carols. The Holly and the Ivy is a classic heard often this time of year. "Sweet singing in the choir."

Tree #24 Possumhaw or winterberry, (also swamp holly)

Across the street from our house there is a small tree coated in red berries. 

Possumhaw or winterberry Dec. 23, 2013

The closeup of the fruit is very distinctive. This is another variety of holly Ilex decidua. 

Fruit of the possumhaw Dec. 23, 2013 corner of Satinwood and Slash Pine Cove

Tree #25 East Palatka holly, cross between Ilex cassine and Ilex opaca

A third holly is found on the corner of my house. It is a little hard to identify but I think it is East Palatka Holly Ilex x attenuata, a cross between dahoon and American holly. The identifying characteristic is the single short spine at the tip of the leaves. Most hollies have spiny leaves and multiple spines, but this one is smooth-edged, with red berries about the size of a BB. 

East Palatka holly Dec. 23, 2013 35 feet high

Note that the possumhaw in the earlier picture can be seen through the branches in the upper left corner. 

Tree #26 Oakleaf Hydrangea 

Shrub, not tree oakleaf hydrangea in front of my house on Satinwood Dr. Dec. 23, 2014

The more common hydrangea has blue flowers that start out pink and transition to blue in the summer. These oakleaf hydrangeas have white flowers that tend to become pink over the summer. It all depends on the pigment biosynthesis pathways and how long they take to accumulate products. Blue is made by hydroxylating flavinoids, one hydroxyl gives red or orange pigments, a second hydroxyl gives the blue color. Exact color depends on co-pigments and pH in the location of the pigments. Some times these are in vacuoles that are acidic as in roses, but the blue color requires an alkaline pH. These facts are why there are no natural blue roses. The rose family lacks the second hydroxylase.  Genetic modifications of roses, chrysanthemums and carnations have added the second hydroxylase and produced a blue rose for the first time in history (Suntory, Moonshadow). The research ran into problems of acidic vacuoles that prevented the blue color from developing even though the missing enzyme was added. Some of these problems have been solved but the blue rose is still rather mauve and not intense blue.

I had wanted to photograph some giant oakleaf hydrangeas at the Memphis Botanic Garden (next post), but when I got there these 10-12 foot high tree-like hydrangeas had been cut down to make way for a performance stage for music in the gardens. Cranes and people were up in the canopy removing some large trees and the space where some smaller hydrangeas still are present is covered in the drifting sawdust from the chainsaws. The concerts are a needed economic support for the gardens, but some favorite plants lost that battle. 

I photographed this same oakleaf hydrangea the following spring/summer. The two plants had a very strong growth period in the spring and burst with luminous white flower spikes.

Oakleaf hydrangeas May 31, 2014

 

The flowers begin titanium oxide white and change to darker and darker pink over time

The two plants were purchased together and planted together, but they changed color weeks apart. Each plant is an individual.

The same plants June 28, 2014