I'm pretty sure that's a hophornbeam. Besides the bark, which is unlike river birch, the color and curling of the winter-held leaves is distinctive. And the twigs, with the way they kind of curl off the branches, the small spur twigs... it all points to Ostrya to me. Michael
On Apr 3, 3:44 pm, Steve Galehouse <[email protected]> wrote: > Jenny- > > After looking at your other photos more carefully--not focusing on the > bark--I think the tree in your photo is a river birch, Betula nigra. The > reasons I think it's not a hophornbeam are: > > 1-The branch attachment to the trunk. The tree in your photos displays sort > of a "saddle" at the point of attachment, which is a characteristic of > birches but not of Ostrya. Compare the attached photo to your photo #4. > > 2-Ostrya tends to be very vertical, straight, and single-stemmed; the > general habit of your tree is arching and leaning, with a couple of main > stems. > > Both species are found in similar habitats where native. River birch > approaches its northern native limit in the NYC area(as it does here in NE > Ohio), and the northern river birches look very different from the popular > cultivars such as Heritage birch and Dura-heat birch, both of which have > much lighter and more exfoliating bark. Either species can retain a few > shriveled leaves over the winter. > > Steve > > On Fri, Apr 3, 2009 at 8:48 AM, JennyNYC <[email protected]> wrote: > > > Thanks! It sounds unanimous. Please send on any pix of hophornbeam. > > Looking forward to one from Cleveland, Steve. > > > Jenny. > > > On Apr 3, 8:05 am, William Morse <[email protected]> wrote: > > > i agree as well. those 'not typical' traits you've pointed out are all > > > still within the variation found in the species. > > > > On Fri, Apr 3, 2009 at 7:35 AM, Will Fell <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > Looks like a hop-hornbeam to me also. I've seen a some with flaky bark > > > > and some with tighter bark, but the leaves hanging on is not unusual > > > > for it. > > > > > On Apr 2, 11:29 pm, Steve Galehouse <[email protected]> wrote: > > > >> Jenny- > > > > >> It looks sort of like hop-hornbeam, but not typical for the way it > > looks in > > > >> my area--the smaller trunk is more similar to what I've seen, the > > larger > > > >> more "flaky" (but hey, you're in NYC)! Tomorrow I'll take a pic and > > send on > > > >> to you what i think is typical(for Cleveland). > > > > >> Steve > > > > >> On Thu, Apr 2, 2009 at 10:13 PM, JennyNYC <[email protected]> > > wrote: > > > > >> > ENTS, > > > > >> > Can you help me identify this tree? I am thinking it's a hophornbeam > > > >> > (Ostrya virginiana), but do their leaves cling in winter? It's > > > >> > growing just above the Bronx River flood plain. I couldn't get a > > close > > > >> > look at the buds. > > > > >> >http://picasaweb.google.com/JennifDudley/TreeIDHelp?feat=directlink > > > > >> > Thanks! > > > >> > Jenny- Hide quoted text - > > > > >> - Show quoted text - > > > > Ostrya branching habit.jpg > 189KViewDownload --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Eastern Native Tree Society http://www.nativetreesociety.org Send email to [email protected] Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/entstrees?hl=en To unsubscribe send email to [email protected] -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
