American smoketree

Tree #101 American smoketree

On my way to help move my son to a new house I drove past a new tree that I had not seen before. It had large feathery pink flower spikes that gave it a very soft look.

Smoketree in bloom May 30, 2015, 4191 Kimball in Memphis between Rebecca and Merrycrest

I had lost track of my camera, but when I found it this week in a suit pocket I decided to go back and take some photos of this tree and try to identify it. I finally found a picture that matched it on the web. Scientific name: Cotinus coggygria

flower spikes and leaves

Close up of the flower spikes

Some branches shot up away from the rest like a Dr. Seuss invention

“I speak for the trees, for the trees have no tongues.”
― Dr. Seuss, The Lorax

In spring 2016 my wife and I went to eat at Caritas Village in Binghampton (on Harvard St.) where we saw this pair of trees in full bloom. The leaves are not the same so this is not a smoketree, but it has that same feathery look to it.

 

A Second Paulownia Tree

Tree #66b Paulownia tomentosa

There are some rare trees in Memphis. I have written before about a Paulownia tree at Manassas and Peach St. That was the only one I had seen in Memphis, but now I have found one more. 

Paulownia tree May 30, 2015

Close up of the flower spikes after flowering

This tree is on the south side of Park Ave. on the power line easement just at the 240 overpass. I had actually seen the flowers from Park Ave. while driving past. I was not able to get there while the tree was still flowering, but I did go by today. I met the owner who was pruning roses in the back yard. She said the tree was ordered since they were not available in Memphis nurseries. It is only about 5 years old and has grown very quickly. The owner was knowledgeable about the tree. She mentioned the flower logo was used as a family crest in Japan (symbol of the Prime Minister's office) and the story is told how when a girl is born one of these trees will be planted so it can be used to make a wedding chest (like a cedar chest) in the future when the girl gets married. (see my earlier post).