tree ID - big tree with damp feet
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sequoiamike Rank attained: Hazel Tree


Joined: 22 Sep 2009 Posts: 19 Location: Cloyne, Co. Cork
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Posted: Tue Sep 06, 2016 3:09 pm Post subject: tree ID - big tree with damp feet |
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I came across a row of trees, planted, but in a rural setting. They are ca. 12m tall and look to be 30-40 yrs old. They have long (6"+) serrated leaves and the bark is mottled grey like an Alder or Birch. But, I've never seen either of them with this type of leaf. This image is from late August. As you can see in the photo, there are Horsetails below, so it must be comfortable with wet feet, as they all look fairly healthy. Anybody have an idea of what species/variety it is?
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Ado 2 Rank attained: Chlorophyll for blood
Joined: 15 May 2015 Posts: 1204 Location: Dublin
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Posted: Tue Sep 06, 2016 4:49 pm Post subject: |
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Sweet chestnut Me thinks
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Greengage Rank attained: Chlorophyll for blood
Joined: 09 Nov 2011 Posts: 3131 Location: Kildare
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Posted: Tue Sep 06, 2016 6:42 pm Post subject: |
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Agree
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Blowin Rank attained: Vegetable garden tender
Joined: 20 Aug 2008 Posts: 930 Location: Drimoleague, Co Cork
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Posted: Tue Sep 06, 2016 7:32 pm Post subject: |
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Definitely.
_________________ A novice gardener on newly cultivated, stoney ground. |
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sequoiamike Rank attained: Hazel Tree


Joined: 22 Sep 2009 Posts: 19 Location: Cloyne, Co. Cork
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Posted: Tue Sep 06, 2016 10:35 pm Post subject: |
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3's a charm, then. Thanks. I was a bit thrown by the bark and there isn't a single nut on any of the 20 or so trees. But, the leaves definitely look the part.
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Blowin Rank attained: Vegetable garden tender
Joined: 20 Aug 2008 Posts: 930 Location: Drimoleague, Co Cork
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Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2016 4:40 am Post subject: |
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There's something about the Irish climate that chestnut doesn't like, and what few there are don't seem to behave like their UK counterparts. My Dad worked chestnut all his life, making fencing products from it because it was second only to oak for durability and, because of that, most big estates had several acres of it to provide stakes etc. for their farm sides. It was cut every twelve years and I feel sure English settlers would have tried to get similar systems going, but failed.
There are a couple of very mature examples in Rineen woods, down on the coast near Skibbereen, but nuts are a rarity, even on trees of that age.
_________________ A novice gardener on newly cultivated, stoney ground. |
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Greengage Rank attained: Chlorophyll for blood
Joined: 09 Nov 2011 Posts: 3131 Location: Kildare
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Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2016 6:41 am Post subject: |
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This year seems a good year for chestnuts i wonder does it have a good year every seven years. Although the Horse chestnut is under serious threat from Bleeding canker. I believe Chesterfield Avenue in the phoenix park will loose all its trees to this disease and there are plans to replace them with London plane.
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Blowin Rank attained: Vegetable garden tender
Joined: 20 Aug 2008 Posts: 930 Location: Drimoleague, Co Cork
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Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2016 9:45 am Post subject: |
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I doubt it, Greengage. Much of Central France relies on chestnuts for its livelihood (the mountainous region of the Massif Centrale) and healthy ones SHOULD provide a good crop every year. As a child, we lived opposite a huge specimen that was about 4ft through the butt and it never failed.
_________________ A novice gardener on newly cultivated, stoney ground. |
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Greengage Rank attained: Chlorophyll for blood
Joined: 09 Nov 2011 Posts: 3131 Location: Kildare
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Posted: Thu Sep 08, 2016 9:12 am Post subject: |
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OK maybe Horse chestnuts originate from the Balkens /Greece maybe we are on their outer limit.
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tippben Rank attained: Vegetable garden tender
Joined: 15 Jan 2011 Posts: 921 Location: north tipperary
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Posted: Thu Sep 08, 2016 12:15 pm Post subject: |
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I seem to remember reading that Castanea sativa was introduced to the UK by the romans, who used the seeds to make a flour. This may explain its scarcity in Ireland. It is very common as coppice in Sussex, Hampshire and Surrey, all in the south of England as cleaved chestnut makes the longest lasting quick growing wood for fencing. I noticed that stands tended to fruit at the same time, similar to Beech. You'd get fruit every year, but only tiny undeveloped ones. Then one year, all the trees would be producing lots of large edible fruits.
I have seen fruiting trees in Ireland, but none with properly developed nuts. Perhaps this could be due to the fact that they are usually specimen trees, and could be suffering from poor pollination?
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