Wednesday, October 9, 2019

I discover new tree after 34 years

Blue-coloured berries ID the Alternate Leaved Dogwood
Just when you think you know a thing or two, something like this happens: I identify a tree, a shrub actually, that I never thought existed on our land. It's an Alternate-Leaved Dogwood.
There are a dozen or more of these 12-foot-tall, spindly shrubs that grow right on the edge of a ridge behind our house in Nolalu. I've been perplexed at what they were because they have the leaf shape of a dogwood but their flower umbrels never seemed to produce any berries. This year a few did and the berries are blue, not white like Redosier Dogwood. The plants are also twice the height of Redosier. Despite its name, I swear the leaves are opposite, not alternate. Anyway, the blue berries, and the size of the plants are clinchers. Redosier has white berries and is about half as tall.
Bolete
Cork and I found some other interesting things to photograph on a recent walk. Our Red Maples had not only turned colour but also had lost about half their leaves. Mushrooms are nearing their season end.
Scarlet Hood Waxcap

Red Maple
Late Garter snake. Time to hibernate.



2 comments:

Kim Gross said...

Those berries look a lot like blueberries, even though I realize they're not. Just curious how they compare size-wise?

Dan Baughman said...

Yes, they are the size of blueberries. Good eye.

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