A Corylus?

Agree w/davidrt, perhaps European hazelnut? If right, how much do we win? A searched pic of corylus looks about right:

PS: My Amer hazelnuts got pretty hammered by cicada damage, but still have alot of nuts as usual.

you win nothing because you didnt phrase it like a question ... what is a Corylus?

I'm going to go with "What is Turkish Filbert (Corylus colurna)?

Btw, how is your C. fargesii doing? Maybe post a current photo for us. Saw a couple nice ones at the Morton Arboretum earlier this summer.

Dave jumps out to a quick lead by giving the full botanical name and putting it in the form of a question.

My C. fargesii is in a fight for its life. If it was a dog, I’d probably have it put down. The brutal extended cold temps from a couple winters back did major damage, and foliage is very sparse. I’m looking for one of those botanical miracles Viburnum Valley spoke of.

I'd slap you on the forehead, and sayeth:

"Sinner! Heal thyself! And then, make a complete basal pruning cut, and hope like Hades this poor mistreated forlorn tree has a few dormant buds to resprout."

I'd do it next spring - maybe around Easter...

There's always hope (Job 14:7), but apparently zone 4 conditions are too harsh for C. fargesii.

We have a few very healthy C. colurna that have been in the ground for 25+ years, but we've also had to remove a number of this species over the years due to heavy cankering that we assume was caused by Eastern Filbert Blight.

And in Malachi 4:20...oh, who am I kidding. Boy oh boy, for someone who espouses botanical miracles, you sure are quick with the chainsaw. Yes, I'll get around to the basal prune job, just as I did with the Stewartia, which suffered similar damage from that winter.

Name this old-timey pine that can make you cry upon seeing it for the first time.

My Amer hazelnuts. Roasted, they are a bit bitter compared to European, but mix 'em w/some roasted pumpkin seeds & you got a winner.

Response to maackia's second jeopardy question:

What is NOT a weeping white pine, Alex?

Ooh, this looks fun.

What is Pinus sylvestris 'Mitsch's Weeping'?

Garen, that's it! The game continues. :)

Freaky plants for $200. I look nothing like the species, but my name would indicate royalty.

I've seen one of these before but can't remember the name. Is it a Corylus?

Finally stumbled across the ID for maackia's "freaky plant" today while searching for something else online. What is Morus alba 'Ho-O'?

That’s it! Dave, you’re the Ken Jennings of Botanical Jeopardy.

Yes, hard to slip one past arbordave!

I doubt that I'll be able to match Jennings' 74 consecutive wins, but keep those questions coming!

I'm overshadowed by my cousin in these parts, and my shagginess is not so impressive when compared to some nutty tree, but I can glow too.

I had to consult with the judges; I’m sorry that is incorrect.

What is Acer saccharinum?

How’s this for a question…What kind of judge would demand the answer be Acer saccharinum?

tj

Well, I’m no Alex Trebek. At this point, it’s probably enough to make you see red.

I would not have guessed as I’m not familiar with the bark of the mature RED one. I will let others do it ;-)

Well that makes it obvious. What is Acer rubrum?

tj

Yes!

Interesting. Red maple bark can vary considerably. The guesses of silver maple were close because the two trees are closely related.

Beng, I agree with Silver and Red Maple similarity, which is why I used "...but I can glow too." This was meant to emphasize A. rubrum's superior fall color to that of Silver Maple.

Final Jeopardy (I promise): The species is native to Asia, and this selection has a unique characteristic that might imply Cornus.

It‘s too soon for Final Jeopardy. Just sayin’.

I’m getting schooled in this version of Jeopardy

What is maackia amurensis?

Bill, that's incorrect, but it does resemble Maackia.

Lane, I'm a lot better at asking questions than answering them.

Hmmm, the only thing l could find that was a similar feature to cornus was exfoliating bark of M. amurensis.

Oh well, I was broke when i came here. ;-)

If it implies Cornus, how 'bout "What is dogbane?" :)

What is Phellodendron amurense?

All are excelent answers, but all incorrect. Here’s a hint: A mature species branches seem to stretch to infinity, but not likely for this tree with trick bark.

This is a shot in the dark guess...Styphnolobium japonicum?

What is Gymnocladus dioicus?

David, that’s it!

Cultivars of those (formerly Sophora japonica) are very, very rare in the trade. I saw some planted at NCSU arboretum during my first visit in "the modern era of my life" LOL - back in 2008 - but almost never saw them for sale anywhere. (I had been to the arboretum in 97 or 98, just after JC died. It's funny how everything in the era before digital cameras seems "fuzzier". I can vividly remember the 2008 trip because have tons of digital pics of it. Can hardly remember the 97 or 98 visit)

Now that I check their plant list - I am pretty sure 'Winter Gold' was one that they had, but for some reason no longer do. That is the one with really bright yellow winter stems right? I had visited in early spring to see camellias and remember seeing that.

Rich & Heidi at Pleasant Run in NJ used to have it, because I hauled a bunch back to KY. I don't see it in their current listings, though.

Yeah Pleasant Run produced a # of plants in my garden that I bought at Rarefind. Great selection.