On a recent spring day, I photographed this Medusa-like structure:
But rather than snakes, these are branches – and they are typical of a particular type of tree commonly used in landscapes. What is it?
Answer and fun facts on Monday!
Friday puzzlement
Published by
Linda Chalker-Scott
Dr. Linda Chalker-Scott has a Ph.D. in Horticulture from Oregon State University and is an ISA certified arborist and an ASCA consulting arborist. She is WSU’s Extension Urban Horticulturist and a Professor in the Department of Horticulture, and holds two affiliate associate professor positions at University of Washington. She conducts research in applied plant and soil sciences, publishing the results in scientific articles and university Extension fact sheets. Linda also is the award-winning author of five books: the horticultural myth-busting The Informed Gardener (2008) and The Informed Gardener Blooms Again (2010) from the University of Washington Press and Sustainable Landscapes and Gardens: Good Science – Practical Application (2009) from GFG Publishing, Inc., and How Plants Work: The Science Behind the Amazing Things Plants Do from Timber Press (2015). Her latest effort is an update of Art Kruckeberg’s Gardening with Native Plants of the Pacific Northwest from UW Press (2019). In 2018 Linda was featured in a video series – The Science of Gardening – produced by The Great Courses. She also is one of the Garden Professors – a group of academic colleagues who educate and entertain through their blog and Facebook pages. Linda’s contribution to gardeners was recognized in 2017 by the Association for Garden Communicators as the first recipient of their Cynthia Westcott Scientific Writing Award. "The Garden Professors" Facebook page - www.facebook.com/TheGardenProfessors "The Garden Professors" Facebook group - www.facebook.com/groups/GardenProfessors Books: http://www.sustainablelandscapesandgardens.com View all posts by Linda Chalker-Scott
I wanted to say Contorted Filbert, but the bark looks too green. The pattern of the bark says to me OAK. Is it a contorted oak?
Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick?
It looks like a shot from the underside of a standard weeper, and although I’ve never seen the bark quite so green, it might well be a weeping crab. What looks like a little white flower in the picture leads me to think that.
I’m going with weeping Mulberry.
Elizabeth I agree. I originally thought “contorted filbert” but the shade of the bark threw me through a loop.
Here are some images of the contorted filbert to compare:
http://www.google.com/images?q=images+contorted+filbert&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=4HDYS9iqI4P78Abp67iABg&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=4&ved=0CB4QsAQwAw