Tree seen in Cornwall

ladidalimey

Hi,

Could someone with more knowledge about trees than me (most people) identify this specimen I saw in a pub garden in Cornwall. I am looking for a tree like this to plant in my garden and would love to know what it is....


http://www.??????.com/photos/ladidalimey/

Many thanks in advance,

L.

ladidalimey

Sorry, link doesn't seem to have worked so have uploaded pics...

Attached Thumbnails

       

Eric Frei

Topped or pollarded Platanus acerifolia, London plane, I think

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hartley

hi L

I dont think it can be a london plane. As you can see from all the lichen on stem, the air is real clean down there in sunny cornwall. London plane sheads its bark and lichen grows pretty slow!

This doesnt however help you with your ident problem

Brent Ferris

I don't think it is a London Plane either, the bark doesn't seem to be shedding, and the leaf shape doesn't look right. Need closer pics of leaves, leaves on a branch, and of bark without the lichen, Is there any spent fruit on the ground under the tree?

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ladidalimey

Unfortunately I have returned to London, but will be going back in July when I can take more pics.

Thanks for all the suggestions so far.

L.

ladidalimey

Hi,

Been back to Cornwall and taken more pics, including close ups of leaves.

Hopefully this will help with the id!

Thanks,

L.

Attached Thumbnails

           

Brent Ferris

It looks like White Poplar (Populus alba). Not all that windfirm, relatively short life 50-60 years, and usually short growing habit, maybe 60 ft high at maturity.

__________________
My business: Tree Pruning and Removals -- Strump Removals -- Advice -- Consulting -- Arborist Reports
If you want an honest opinion, call Brent Ferris...because, Trees want to Live Too !
We do great jobs, even in small yards.

Free Estimates Oakville to Oshawa - North to Bradford (Will travel further if cost of travelling covered)

Garry Brockley

I would agree with Populus alba the white downy stems and young twigs give it a destinct look

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ladidalimey

Many thanks for all the replies. Looking at images I think you're right. One other question, are there any thoughts on the way the tree has been pruned to give it the shape, or is that natural?

Thanks in advance,

L.

Garry Brockley

The tree is regularly pollarded a real pity really they have a great natural shape, it was probably done by someone thinking that it was the correct thing to do when simple target pruning would have been the answer, however we don't know the history or reasoning behind the work but it is not the way to produce a strong long term tree

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Eden Keeper

I'd say this crossed the line between a pollard and being topped/lopped since the initial cuts were to branches more than an inch in diameter. Aesthetically there is little difference, but at least the smaller wound of a proper pollard would heal quicker and result in a smaller amount of compartmentalized rot (if relatively short lived poplars even do that). A practical reason for a pollard is to produce more firewood of a small uniform size.

I live in tornado alley (April 27, 2011, for example) where tree topping is an all to common illegitimate practice, besides topless trees are obscene (I borrowed that).
It seems like nearly everybody who owns both a chainsaw and a bucket truck thinks they are qualified arborist; topping is listed in up to 3 of 4 tree service advertisements and is probably more prevalent among those who don't advertise.

I call topped trees "tornado chic" since the aesthetics are about the same as tornado damage breaking every limb (rather than uprooting the tree).

Eric Frei

Poms love topping, then when called out about it they claim it is "pollarding".

We've seen it here, even their councils do it to what would be otherwise dang good trees.

crown reduction. is it really required

crown reduction

For adverse weather areas plant more suitable trees not ones that bust up.

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