The Southeast Corner

This is a tentative summary of the larger plants around the Towson Y, which became a regular Covid-19 project. Just interested if the identifications can be done by an amateur without looking at the landscape plan. It is about as natural as anywhere else on the planet at this point.

This blog is intended to stay at the simplest possible level but I will use some latin terms to help in computer searches. This will make it easier for commenters to verify or change the identification. Let's stay with the larger more obvious plants to start. There will be a series of posts moving counter-clockwise around the Y campus. Every plant has a story, but we will flesh those out later, keeping the initial notes to a few lines. I could envision a reader or a team of readers drilling down into the details of one or more plants.

The exciting thing about starting this season is to follow the dynamic changes, as the slumber of winter breaks into the dance of spring. Winter can provide some interesting detective work, leaves and flowers are few but many dormant plants can be identified by details like the leaf buds, bark or just the overall shape of the winter tree. And there are the evergreens.

Let's walk around that corner just east of the main entrance. There are about a dozen evergreens and a similar dozen or so deciduous trees or bushes. Starting at the very front there is English Ivy, Hedera helix, not too exciting? But it is evergreen, something more associated with the conifers. It is fruiting and shows the two types of leaves: palmate, five lobed juvenile leaves and the heart-shaped or cordate flowering leaves. The flowering leaves are higher, in full sun and closer to the berries which here are dark blue. But summary is that not all evergreens are conifers and not all conifers are evergreen. How does the ivy grow up the tree?

The dark green conifer also around the base of the large tree is probably one of the yews, let's say Taxus baccata, or the common yew. It is known as being moderately to strongly toxic, all parts but the flesh of the berry. Even the berry is avoided since the seed is so poisonous. The yew does provide some medicines used to fight cancer. The large hardwood tree, surrounded by the ivy and yew will be easier to identify as the new year progresses. There seems to be an "opposite" leaf bud and small limb pattern. If it is "opposite" vs "alternate" leaves it is one of the MADHorse acronym trees. Maple, Ash, Dogwood, and Horse Chestnut. Judging by a few straggling leaves maple might be most likely. For now leave it as Acer genus, and needs more research.

Staying along the property line there are four cedars along the fence, Juniper virginiana, followed by a clump of three arborvitae (Thuja occidentals). Arbor vitae, the tree of life, may have supplied critical nutrients to early French explorers who otherwise lived on fudge. They were subject to scurvy, which a tea brewed from cedar twigs could cure. The wood from both types of trees is highly valued.

Staying with the conifers the two taller trees closer to the driveway are Cryptomeria, Cryptomeria japonica. You can guess that it is a non-native, it doesn't seem to be too invasive although it is widely planted in the area and could have that potential. It is commonly planted around shrines in Japan even though it is allergenic, causing problems in the spring with severe allergy symptoms.

There is one other conifer/evergreen that dominates that corner a tall tree but on the adjacent property across the fence. There was a branch on the ground, the needles did not roll easily between the fingers, flattened and thus probably a fir rather than a spruce. Finding or seeing the pine cones would help precision. Needs more work.

Now for the dozen or so deciduous plants in that corner. There are three redbuds (Cercis canadensis) in a line. Even in the winter there are a few pods attached directly to the limbs. This is a redbud trait, cauliflory, where the flowers and thus the fruit arise directly from the branches and even the trunk. Extending that line there are three multi-stem shrubs that are probably serviceberry ( Amelanchier canadensis). These are scattered elsewhere on the property. The actual species may be difficult and need input from the landscaper since there are multiple hybrids. The "service" term may refer to funeral services which in northern areas could finally be conducted as the ground melted and the serviceberry bloomed.

This leaves 3-4 bare deciduous trees without obvious identification. The buds are usually unique but need further study. Some of them have opposite buds, which limits the options, probably maples.

As we add the photos we will see if there are more clues. So look for some further editing. We are looking for a good reference on the twig/ bud patterns. There are a number online, looking for one specific for this area.

Not yet illustrated are the other six deciduous trees. Three have opposite buds and are probably maples similar to those still bearing leaves toward the east/middle of the lot. Look on the ground for clues and we will try to identify the leave scars.

This will be a dynamic corner with the redbud and serviceberries(?) blooming in the spring. Watch the buds on the hardwoods change with the season. Comments and corrections are welcome.

So there are still puzzles due to the lack of leaves, flowers and fruit. Of the remaining deciduous trees there are three clustered around the multistemed serviceberry. They have more furrowed bark in a diamond pattern and the terminal buds(end of twigs) are a chocolate brown. They seem similar and we will tentatively put them in the Ash Tree category, an interesting choice given the emerald ash borer. These may be a resistant type.

The deciduous tree closest to the main road has an unusual bud which from the online guides looks closest to Tulip Tree. Let's hold the latin until sure.

The last tree in the front group, nearest the parking area has alternate leaf buds and a shedding, peeling bark pattern. That suggests a couple of ideas but the shedding bark could be a disease and not a characteristic. Temporarily a challenging unknown. The final two trees which we will label in the photo are opposite leaf buds, smooth bark and probably maples.

So far we have English Ivy, large maple, large fir, yew, arborvitae, red cedar, redbud, serviceberry, tulip tree, ash tree, probable small maple and two unknowns at the front and the back of the group. Stay tuned, or better yet provide the answers. There will be interesting changes as soon as next month.