Tree ID -please

11 years ago

I have one small tree that I cannot ID.

Has fine pinnate leaves, and in the fall, forms large clusters of red, pepper-like seeds - not a Pepper tree and not Tree of Heaven.

They are planted in various locations in the nearby University town, I checked the university's Ag site, but it is not listed there.
Bark is smooth and gray.
Small, tree used as an ornamental at local stores and in the parks. Very drought hardy.
Flowers in spring, but cannot recall what they look like - but they were pretty. Sorry. I know that doesn't help.

The seeds grow quickly and easily just by falling to the ground. That is how I got my one tree, but I also got a cluster of the red seeds.

The seeds have no peppery smell - in fact, no smell that I can detect whatsoever.

I know it is blurry, but this is the only picture I can find at the moment of the pepper berry clusters. I put them in a vase on top of my TV cabinet. They were so pretty.
The cluster got knocked off and it broke apart this past fall, so I saved the seeds to plant.

I'll look for the picture of my little tree and post it.

Thanks
~Annie

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Comments (11)

Annie
Original Author
11 years ago
This photo was taken in April last year showing the new spring growth (new spring leaves).

I have another photo showing how it looked in summer when it had grown quite a bit larger.
Annie
Original Author
11 years ago
Here is a better photo of the little tree.

Can anyone identify it?

The trunk of a young trees is reddish, but the older trees have more of a gray-brown colour.

This post was edited by sweetannie4u on Sat, Mar 16, 13 at 1:14
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Lane56
11 years ago
I think it could be a bee bee tree, Tetradium daniellii.
pineresin
11 years ago
Zanthoxylum?

Resin
j0nd03
11 years ago
Pistacia chinensis?

Now would be a great time to take pictures of the terminal buds for an ID

This post was edited by j0nd03 on Sat, Mar 16, 13 at 8:16
Annie
Original Author
11 years ago
j0nd03,

You got it buddy!

That is it!

Thanks everyone for trying to help me with this.

I see that if I want the berries (and I do for my wildlife) that I need a male. I got about 50 seeds left from the cluster I had. I'll sprout them first and then go from there. Surely I can get a happy couple from all those!

See the link below to see how the pepper-like berries look on a grown female tree. They are a gorgeous tree all year long. So happy to find out the name and have all the info about them.

I knew someone on here would know. That's why I came to your forum for answers.
THANKS SO MUCH!

~Annie
(a tree hugging tree lover)

Here is a link that might be useful: Pistacia chinensis

This post was edited by sweetannie4u on Sat, Mar 16, 13 at 12:39
bostedo: 8a tx-bp-dfw
11 years ago
I see that if I want the berries (and I do for my wildlife) that I need a male.

Having a male tree around so that your female can bear fruit shouldn't be a problem. Because there's concern about these trees becoming invasive, nursery stock used around here (Dallas) have been mostly (all?) male plants for a decade or more. I'm guessing it's similar in other areas as the large growers wouldn't want to be at risk in event of a crack down. So there's likely a pollen donor available if you're close to any recent development or street plantings.

A nice low maintenance tree with decent fall color in north Texas, BTW. Only knock I have again ours is that color only lasts from one to a few days - so short, I've missed it some years. Most of the street trees planted in the 1990s exhibit similar behavior, but may just be something about the region.

Here is a link that might be useful: Chinese pistache is on some invasive lists and not others.
j0nd03
11 years ago
Annie you are very welcome =)

I have two 'Keith Davey' pistaches myself and they grew over 2' their first growing season last year. I really like them, too. There is a row of 4 at a dentist office near where I work that turn the colors of the most beautiful sunset every fall. I can't imagine any tree looking more colorful than they do.

BUT myself getting an ID correct that resin guessed incorrect makes me happier than you were to find out which species it was! Trust me!!!

John

Here is a link that might be useful: Some victory music

This post was edited by j0nd03 on Sat, Mar 16, 13 at 14:17
WxDano
11 years ago
Chinese pistache is on the invasives lists to the south, likely to move to OK as an invasive with man-made climate change. No need to keep that tree.
Iris GW
11 years ago
And there is some information out there that birds prefer native berries over non-native berries so you'd be doing better for the birds to plant something native, like Serviceberry.
Annie
Original Author
11 years ago
Thanks for the heads-up on their being invasive in some areas.

The fall colour - here, it lasts for a few weeks, depending upon how much moisture we get (or not).

We have been in an on-going drought here for the past twenty years (Climate Change). Only one or two years in that twenty had much rain. Many of the Natives died or are dying. Had I not watered my one little tree, it would not have made it.

If native bird don't eat them, wouldn't that be a good thing -no eat; no poop seeds; no seedlings?

Okla. State University planted the ones here (recently in fact), except for the ones at one park which were planted about twenty years ago. I haven't seen any seedling growing anywhere nearby (or I would have 'snitched" one or two. (my bad). The one I got was from a new WalMart where the parent tree is growing in a median. They water them weekly. There were only three seedlings and I got one - there are no seedlings there now. They whacked 'em!

However,..I don't want to add to the ongoing invasion of the environment snatchers.

I will investigate it.

Thanks everyone

Rocky theme song, eh? - Ha Ha Ha!!!

~Annie