Pretty leaves on mystery volunteer

martinca_gw sunset zone 24

9 years ago

It looks so familiar, but we have nothing on our property like it.
We're in coastal So. Ca. Any ideas??
TIA !

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (11)

Embothrium
9 years ago
Sweetgum.
martinca_gw sunset zone 24
Original Author
9 years ago
Oh yes!! We do have liquidambers nearby...what they're called out here.
I adore them. It's the very best tree we have for glorious autumn color.
The volunteer is a little bedding plant about one foot tall . I will dig up and put in a pot until big enough to plant in yard.
Rate my chances, please, along with any advice..
Thank you , bboy.
Related Discussions
Mystery Volunteers
Q
Comments (8)
That's an interesting suggestion. Horse nettle does grow around here, but I went outside just now to check for thorns on the back of the leaves and the stem, and I didn't find any. However, I did find that my dog had dug up my elderberry bush! I hope it survives the replanting.
...See More
Mystery tree volunteer
Q
Comments (4)
I checked, it is not aromatic. Persimmon would make sense, my neighbors have one. Argh! Don't want a persimmon tree.
...See More
Help identify mystery volunteer rose
Q
Comments (6)
"Hoovb's" Tiffany guess was inspired! There are a lot of similarities. But I've never had Tiffany in my garden. Also, I don't think this rose is a hybrid tea; it's more floribunda in type. And I think Tiffany has thorns, which this mystery guy does not. However, my mystery rose is still a "juvenile" and developing its adult characteristics. Thanks for the idea. Jallecta
...See More
Mystery volunteers
Q
Comments (5)
Thank you!! I knew it was something cool, but I haven't seen it in decades, so I couldn't remember. I was out weeding today and took a close look. It is EVERYWHERE in the bed. Now I will be watching everything that pops up to see if it is a native plant or endangered. I cannot believe I have trout lily, trillium and Dutchman's breeches in my little back of the garage bed!! The henbit is already gone. :0)
...See More
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
9 years ago
I will dig up and put in a pot until big enough to plant in yard.
Rate my chances,

==>>> ummmmm ... its growing nicely in mother earth.. why would you pot it.. an attempt to love it to death???

mark it with some bright string or some such ... and when the leaves fall off... dig a new hole where you want it... then dig the plant out... just one shovel full .... and move it ...

99% odds of success IMHO ...

but you will be responsible for all water next year ... and a good mulch cover will help ....

by potting... and mind you i learned this the hard way ... you add the following variables.. each one.. you are able to screw up:

media
watering
winter storage
black pots in winter sun leading to early dormancy
winter watering
etc.. etc... etc ...

most trees have and need a dormancy [we arent discussing areas where trees may not have such] ... thats why the leaves fall off on deciduous trees ...... and once you pot things.. its just so easy to mess them up ... so go with what it prefers ... as a self sown seedling ...

all plants are movable.. and trees are best done.. when dormant.. so there is less stress.. trying to save the leaves... and its root growing time.. when there are no leaves... especially in your temperate area .... as such.. it ought to come out of your version of winter.. ready to take off like a rocket ...

finally ... its a free sown tree... it should never need food ... though its immature.. it is not a baby ... just give it proper water.. and it should be all set ...

good luck

ken
hoovb zone 9 sunset 23
9 years ago
Invasive roots in So Cal. Be careful where you plant it. Not close to house or any pavement.
zzackey
9 years ago
It's a messy tree. It drops lots of seed balls. About the size of a half dollar.
lucky_p
9 years ago
IMO, one of the least desirable of trees. I will admit, some have great fall color.

Liquidambar is, however, a contributor to hydrocarbon air pollution.

Here is a link that might be useful: Liquidambar - heinous polluter
Toronado3800 Zone 6 St Louis
9 years ago
From a CBS article I read. "A forest of 10,000 of the trees emits perhaps 22 pounds of hydrocarbons an hour - the equivalent of spilling a dozen gallons of gasoline and allowing it to evaporate, according to an estimate by the University of California Cooperative Extension."

Interesting. Thanks for making me read up. I only vaguely remembered the Reagan quote. Guess all them oaks in the Ozarks are damaging my air quality. My commute today was as bad as six large sweetgums!
arktrees
9 years ago
Lets see..... 10,000 Sweetgums, or 10,000 cars.......... a hydrocarbon emission that has been present for geologic time scale....... or one that has been present for just over a century........ one source consumes other pollutants.......... the other source creates emits, hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, CO2, cyclic aromatic compounds, etc etc.

GIVE ME THE DAMN TREES!!!!

BTW, toronado, that figure works out to just about 1 gram (28.35 grams per ounce) per tree an hour. I'm sure more than that leaks from most car gas tanks.

Arktrees

This post was edited by arktrees on Wed, Sep 17, 14 at 7:23
ctnchpr
9 years ago
...and, they're a host plant for Luna moth cats.
lucky_p
9 years ago
Ark,
You can have the sweetgums. Give me oaks or hickories, thank you.
arktrees
9 years ago
FWIW Lucky, I would rather have Oaks and Hickories over most sweetgums as well. They are not my favorite trees by any means. However the article you posted was overstating the evidence, and over reaching in it's conclusions. I was trying to provide perspective. No ones need feel guilty for wanting to plant a sweetgum if that is what they like, any more than I for the White Oak I will soon be planting in a neighbors yard. Or the Caddo Sugar Maple, American Elm (DED resistant selection), or the Kentucky Coffee tree.

Arktrees