Ornamental Trees
What are they?
This group draws together a mixed bunch of trees which are essentially introduced, garden plants which may occasionally be found in the wider countryside (and thus could be taken as a wild plant), or which may be a strong feature of the Cape May landscape and thus catch the plant hunter's eye.
Where are they found?
Most likely to be found in urban or semi-urban areas, waste ground or - occasionally - on the site of a former house which may have long since gone.
Identification
This is a mixed bunch which should be readily identifiable from the pictures presented below.
Ohio Buckeye Aesculus glabra
A small to medium-sized, sometimes shrubby, tree. Native to North America but not native in Cape May County. Known from a small tree on Nature Conservancy property near Cape May Point - origin unknown but not likely to have been planted. Flowers May.
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Pride-of-India Koelreuteria paniculata
(Goldenrain Tree) Native to Asia. Not known to be established in the wild but included here as this is a very showy and eye-catching species when in flower or fruit.
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Tree-of-heaven Ailanthus altissima
Native to Asia but now well-established as a persistent and invasive alien in many places. A fast-growing tree which seeds freely and spreads rapidly on waste ground and other marginal habitats if left unchecked. Widespread and common. Flowers June to July. Bark pale gray; young trees have a mosaic of flaky patches, with diamond-shaped markings similar to those found on poplar trees, but older trees show trunks with vertical grooves.
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flushed purple |
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| with short lobes |
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Foxglove-tree Paulownia tomentosa
(Princesstree) Introduced from Asia. A fairly common garden tree which rarely turns up self-seeded in the wild. Flowers May. Bare stems can look similar to Tree-of-heaven, while large leaves resemble those of the catalpas. Easily identified when in flower; during the winter, trees old enough to have flowered can easily be told by the clusters of wooden seed pods that remain on the tree well into the following year.
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seed pods |
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