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BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: ApalacheeRiverFarms on August 22, 2012, 09:11:59 am

Title: Plant ID
Post by: ApalacheeRiverFarms on August 22, 2012, 09:11:59 am

I've got a lot of this around my farm in Georgia, anybody know what it is?

(http://img.tapatalk.com/a6937992-cc55-c2e9.jpg)

Title: Re: Plant ID
Post by: D Coates on August 22, 2012, 10:04:01 am

It appears to be a type of sumac.

Title: Re: Plant ID
Post by: hardwood on August 22, 2012, 10:07:03 am

Can't tell for sure from the pic but it looks like young golden rain tree. If the bloom turns into three sided "paper lanterns" you'll know for sure.

Scott

Title: Re: Plant ID
Post by: G3farms on August 22, 2012, 11:41:38 am

Looks like staghorn sumac.

Look at the twigs and leaf stalks, if they are hairy it is staghorn sumac.
.........................................., if they are not it is smooth sumac.

Title: Re: Plant ID
Post by: David McLeod on August 22, 2012, 11:55:48 am

sumac

Title: Re: Plant ID
Post by: BlueBee on August 22, 2012, 12:03:05 pm

We need a little better focus to be sure, but it looks like Ailanthus altissima to me; aka “tree of heaven”.  They are a very invasive, sumac like, trees from Asia.  Sounds like we can thank somebody from PA for this botanical scourge :(  Actually it does have some usefulness; it is a host plant of the beautiful Cynthia moth which was also imported from Asia in an attempt to create a domestic source of fine silk.

If your tress have little fuzzy berry like seeds in the colored cones, then it is staghorn sumac.  If the colored plumes are really seed leaves instead, then you have tree of heavens.  This site shows the characteristics of the tree of heaven pretty well.  The shape of each compound leaf is also a little different between the two species.

http://www.invasive.org/browse/subinfo.cfm?sub=3003 (http://www.invasive.org/browse/subinfo.cfm?sub=3003)

Get us a close up shot of the yellow plumes.

Title: Re: Plant ID
Post by: G3farms on August 22, 2012, 01:13:30 pm

If it is the tree of heaven, break on of the main stalks over (will break easily) and have a very strong pungent odor. Don't think it is though, just not the right over all shape.

Title: Re: Plant ID
Post by: ApalacheeRiverFarms on August 25, 2012, 05:09:18 pm

(http://img.tapatalk.com/a6937991-30e5-458b.jpg)Hairy... Stag horn sumac I assume then.

Title: Re: Plant ID
Post by: ApalacheeRiverFarms on August 25, 2012, 05:11:27 pm

These are all along my gravel rd leading to my farm.

Title: Re: Plant ID
Post by: BlueBee on August 26, 2012, 03:25:25 am

Yep, I concede defeat on this one after seeing the close up shot of the flower head.  The other guys are right; that is a sumac.

Title: Re: Plant ID
Post by: BlueBee on August 26, 2012, 03:59:00 am

Sumac Yes.  Staghorn Sumac I’m going to say No. 

I have plenty of Staghorn Sumac up here and your leaves are not the same.  Staghorn sumac has serrated leafs (ie noticeable saw tooths), your leaves appear to have smooth edges in the photo.   That means it is not likely Staghorn.  The stems appear hairy in the photo so that probably eliminates smooth sumac too.  I’m going to go with Rhus copallina for your species of Sumac.  The common name is Flameleaf, or Shining Sumac.   

Title: Re: Plant ID
Post by: G3farms on August 26, 2012, 04:01:31 pm

Quote from: BlueBee on August 26, 2012, 03:59:00 am

Sumac Yes.  Staghorn Sumac I’m going to say No. 

  I’m going to go with Rhus copallina for your species of Sumac.  The common name is Flameleaf, or Shining Sumac.   

Good call after seeing the close up, actual name is "winged sumac", look for the thin wing on the midrib of the leaflet.

Title: Re: Plant ID
Post by: iddee on August 26, 2012, 06:40:56 pm

OK, now that you got that one, what is this one?


http://s81.photobucket.com/albums/j226/Iddee/Plant%20ID/ (http://s81.photobucket.com/albums/j226/Iddee/Plant%20ID/)

Title: Re: Plant ID
Post by: BlueBee on August 27, 2012, 12:41:57 am

What do you say G3?  Another winged sumac in iddee’s photos?

I’ve never seen the winged sumac in Michigan, so I’ll defer to G3 on this one.  Image 1 and 2 looked to have a winged midrib on the compound leafs.