Need help identifying these trees

1601H

Hello. I need help identifying these trees. We live in the Washington DC area.











Thank you.

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jmcg.insight.gardens

Hello there,



some more information would help to correctly identify the plants in question.

typically the flower or fruit is used in conjunction with the leaves, can you tell us if they have been observed to flower and describe it to us. Have you seen any berries etc.

at this stage I would offer you an educated guess, ( full identification would need more information), the leaf arrangement, the leaves and buds all suggest Photinia species. The first image of leaves is very much like Photinia serrulata "Aculeata" Chinese Photinia. I have attached a PDF for you to look at







I,ve also added a link for you to compare the leaves you have

http://www.texasinvasives.org/observ...s/raw/6834.jpg

The leaves have a very bad case of leaf spot fungi which also lends me to believe I'm on the right track.


The bark is a bit off putting to me though, is it the light in the photos or is the bark that shiny green color?


I'm not familiar with this species here in Australia. Hope this might be useful for you, or one of the Arborists your way can be of more assistance


regards Julie

Attached Files

photinia serrulata '.pdf (174.3 KB, 33 views)

1601H

Hello Julie. Thank you very much for the information. We just bought the house a month or so ago, so we haven't been able to see the trees in all seasons. So far I haven't seen any flowers or berries.

The bark, when dry, is a light greenish-gray. It was raining when I took the photos. As you noted the trees are in pretty rough shape, lots of fungus and dead branches. That's why I'm hoping to find out the name, so I can research my options for dealing with the trees long term.

Thanks again for your help. Sean

Garry Brockley

it could be a camelia sp i.e.

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jmcg.insight.gardens

Hi there



yes a tricky one.

hmm.....Galbee could be on the right track as well, but to me the terminal bud is definitely reddish-pinkish more like a Photinia.

But I have seen some fifty year old camellias that have that habit. Lets see if we can narrow it down a bit.

Could you take a close up photo of a top-most bud for us, which we call the terminal bud, the one that is at the end of the branch like the one you displayed, which to me looks reddened. Also include if you can where the leaf joins the stem if you notice any buds there.

It would help if you could also take a photo of the trunk when it is not wet and a close-up as well so we can see the bark.

Tell me if you notice any reddish new growth as well or is the new growth green and shiny? That should narrow it down.

Sorry for so many instructions but it can be tricky to identify correctly a plant from photos of this leaf shape

Regards Julie

1601H

Sorry for the delay. Here are some more photos of the bark and buds. Over the years it looks like all of the lower branches have been pruned away so it's difficult to get a look at the new growth high up.

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dov

Hmmm. Looks like Photinia to me. The serrations on the leaves are like a Camelia Sasanqua, but the buds are the wrong colour and look a bit short. I'd say Photinia. The clincher is when you see the spring growth - the leaves will be reddish. The growth habit is very like a Photinia as well. While I've seen Cammelia Japonicas with a growth habit like this, I think the leaf serrations seem a bit wide for a Japonica and again, the buds are the wrong colour.

Photinia it is.

1601H

Thank you all for your help. Everything I've found online about photinia is that once the spot fungi takes hold there's little that can be done. I have about 50 of them ringing my property and all seem to have at least some of the fungus showing on the leaves. Sound I start taking them down?

dov

I haven't seen this fungus in Australia, but if you like the trees, then perhaps removing the most affected trees and try to remove infected portions of less affected specimens. Anyone else got some suggestions?

jmcg.insight.gardens

Hi 1601H, sorry it was so hot today I,m a bit late with my reply.

I can say with some certainty that it is a Photinia due to the shape of the leaf scar and the bud shape and colour, also the reddened new growth of the stems. I couldn't tell the species without handling the plant.

Dear me, they are severely infected, but I wouldn,t be too quick to give them the chop.

It seems that there are two forms of fungal leaf spot your way, I have enclosed some links for you to look at and would recommend that you get a consulting Arborist to advise you of any treatment. Sometimes this can be more cost effective than replacement planting. It seems that lack of adequate ventilation and perhaps the variety may be your underlying problem.

Common Landscape Diseases in Georgia

Overview : Extension : Clemson University : South Carolina

/hgic1081.html

The second link suggests useful info on replacement planting.

But of course if you don,t like the idea of spraying perhaps your best choice is to replace them with a more suitable type of screening plant.

regards Julie

jmcg.insight.gardens

1601H

re: last post, oops sorry the second link didn't work out as expected, just scroll down the list and choose Photinia "Red Tip"

Harrie

Photinia fraseri "Red Robin" it is

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