Ear to the Ground: The Insider Dirt to Gardening in Upstate NY

Q&A: We ask, YOU answer (Stump the Chump, July 2014)

by janem on July 23, 2014

Name this plant!

mystery1 mystery2

A native ornamental, it grows to 50 feet tall. It sports handsome foliage and bark, and white flowers in panicles, late May to early June. At Lilac Hill there is a pink-flowered variety, which Ted Collins obtained from Coldwater Pond Nursery (and Ted Hildebrand, no fair guessing). This is an underused gem, great as a lawn specimen.

The first reader to guess correctly will win a lilac from Lilac Hill Nursery. Submit answers to jane@janemilliman.com or by calling 585-733-8979.

We already have a winner, but if you want to guess, leave a comment below.

Answer from last issue (May-June 2014): The Pepperidge tree, also known as black gum (Nyssa sylvatica)

 

 

{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }

janem August 5, 2014 at 7:10 pm

Oh, you are right! My mistake. Apologies. I would love to see them in their native environment. Lucky you. And shame on me for not double checking that it was a synonym and not two distinct species. Thank you! And thanks for reading.

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Kate Kruesi August 5, 2014 at 7:03 pm

There’s only one right? But it changed name from Cladrastis lutea to C. kentuckea. A great tree but it takes a VERY LONG time to mature enough to bloom, just as M Dirr says. I waited about 17 years for mine to bloom. I enjoyed seeing them in their northernmost population in IN a couple years ago.

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janem August 5, 2014 at 4:50 pm

Yes. Know which one? (Good job, btw.)
Jane

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Brad Schottin August 5, 2014 at 4:42 pm

Is it a Yellowwood?

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