Aesculus hippocastanum – Horse Chestnut – Conker Tree

General Information Common Name  Horse Chestnut, Conker Tree Scientific Name  Aesculus hippocastanum Sun Tolerance  Full Sun Height  20 - 30 m (65 - 100 ft) Spread  12 - 20 m (40 - 65 ft) Growth Rate  Moderate Bloom Time  Summer Color  Green Flower Color  White Type  Tree Native  South East Europe

Classification Kingdom  Plantae – Plants Subkingdom  Tracheobionta – Vascular plants Superdivision  Spermatophyta – Seed plants Division  Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants Class  Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons Subclass  Rosidae Order  Sapindales Family  Hippocastanaceae – Horse-chestnut family Genus  Aesculus L. – buckeye Species  A. hippocastanum

Aesculus hippocastanum – Horse Chestnut

Aesculus hippocastanum commonly known as Horse Chestnut also called Conker Tree is a native of the Balkans and Asia Minor tree, though it also appears self-sown in some woodland. The display of prominent showy white blossoms on its arching branches is its chief attribute.

The shoots are stout, becoming pale grey or brown, with large horse-shoe-shaped scars left by the fallen leaf-stalks. The brown winter buds large sharply pointed and thickly coated with resin. The shoots flush in March and the foliage soon puts on the appearance of a damaged wing of a bird later expanding magnificently. The leaves consist of from five to save leaflets with serrated margins, and palmately arranged from a long stalk. Each leaflet becomes broader towards the tip, and then suddenly narrows to a point, the largest may reach almost a foot in length. The upper surface is a dismal dark green and hairless, the lower is covered with woolly down which soon disperses. In autumn the leaves change to yellow and gold or in parts to red.

Aesculus hippocastanum – Horse Chestnut

The handsome candelabra-like inflorescence, with hermaphrodite flowers, is erect in mid-May, and may exceed a foot in height, having more than a hundred white flowers that have delicate petal edges frilled in variable patterns and a yellow blotch that turns pale crimson. The inedible fruit, one or more lustrous red-brown seeds (‘conkers’), ripens in early autumn within a tough, thick, leathery and spiky husk which has changed form pale green to dark brown. The bark is dark grayish-brown, smooth in young trees but later breaking into unevenly sized and shaped pink-brown scales, which are eventually shed. The white wood is too soft and brittle to have much practical use.

The trunk is often fluted and spreading somewhat at the base. Though self-sown trees are common, it is a ornamental rather than a woodland tree.

Aesculus hippocastanum – Horse Chestnut : Seeds

Aesculus hippocastanum – Horse Chestnut : Flowers

Aesculus hippocastanum – Horse Chestnut

Aesculus hippocastanum – Horse Chestnut : Leaves

Aesculus hippocastanum – Horse Chestnut : Flowers

Aesculus hippocastanum – Horse Chestnut

Aesculus hippocastanum – Horse Chestnut : Young Planet

Aesculus hippocastanum – Horse Chestnut

Aesculus hippocastanum – Horse Chestnut

Aesculus hippocastanum – Horse Chestnut

Aesculus hippocastanum – Horse Chestnut

Callistemon viminalis – Weeping Bottlebrush

General Information Common Name  Weeping Bottlebrush Scientific Name  Callistemon viminalis Sun Tolerance  Full Sun Height  4.5–6 m (15–20 ft) Spread  3–3.5 m (12–15 ft) Growth Rate  Medium Bloom Time  Spring Color  Green Flower Color  Red Type  Tree Native  New South Wales and Queensland of Australia

Classification Kingdom  Plantae – Plants Subkingdom  Tracheobionta – Vascular plants Superdivision  Spermatophyta – Seed plants Division  Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants Class  Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons Subclass  Rosidae Order  Myrtales Family  Myrtaceae – Myrtle family Genus  Callistemon R. Br. – bottlebrush Species  C. viminalis

Callistemon viminalis  –  Weeping Bottlebrush

Callistemon viminalis commonly known as Weeping Bottlebrush. This is a evergreen small tree. It is native to the states of New South Wales and Queensland in Australia where it often occurs along watercourses. It grows up to 30 feet in height and has pendent branches with green leaves.  It blooms beautiful red flowers in full spring. The flowers look like a Bottlebrush, so it is called Weeping Bottlebrush tree. The flowers are 4 to 10 cm in length and about 3 to 6 cm in diameter. The flowers are followed by persistent woody capsules which are not noticed unless you are close to the tree. It looks so beautiful when full bloom. Callistemon viminalis is extremely adaptable in cultivation. For optimum results it should be planted in moist well-drained soil in full or partial sun. The species is susceptible to frost damage while small and suitable protection is necessary. People like to plant it as an ornamental tree and they plant weeping bottlebrush besides the road, parks and home garden.

Callistemon viminalis  –  Weeping Bottlebrush

Callistemon viminalis  –  Weeping Bottlebrush

Callistemon viminalis  –  Weeping Bottlebrush

Callistemon viminalis  –  Weeping Bottlebrush

Callistemon viminalis  –  Weeping Bottlebrush

Callistemon viminalis  –  Weeping Bottlebrush

Callistemon viminalis  –  Weeping Bottlebrush : Seeds

Callistemon viminalis  –  Weeping Bottlebrush : Trunk

Callistemon viminalis  –  Weeping Bottlebrush

Callistemon viminalis  –  Weeping Bottlebrush

Callistemon viminalis  –  Weeping Bottlebrush

Callistemon viminalis  –  Weeping Bottlebrush

Artocarpus heterophyllus – Jackfruit - Jack fruit

General Information Common Name  Jack Fruit, Jackfrut Scientific Name  Artocarpus heterophyllus Sun Tolerance  Full Sun Height   9–21 m (30–70 ft) Spread  3.5-4.7 m (12-15 ft) Growth Rate  Moderate Bloom Time  Spring Color  Green Flower Color  Green Type  Tree Native  South and Southeast Asia

Classification Kingdom  Plantae – Plants Subkingdom  Tracheobionta – Vascular plants Superdivision Spermatophyta – Seed plants Division  Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants Class  Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons Subclass  Hamamelididae Order  Urticales Family  Moraceae – Mulberry family Genus  Artocarpus J.R. Forst. & G. Forst. – Breadfruit Species  A. heterophyllus

Huge Fruits on Jack fruit Tree

Artocarpus heterophyllus common name is Jack fruit. It is native to South and Southeast Asia, and is believed to have originated in the southwestern rain forests of India. It is mainly found and  is widely cultivated in tropical regions of India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri-Lanka, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Philippines. It is also found in the tropical regions of Africa and South America. It is one of the most popular and delicious fruits in the world. Jackfruit is the National fruits of Bangladesh. The tree grows up to 9-21m (30-70 ft) in height. This is an evergreen tree. The leaves are dark green, alternate, entire, simple glossy, leathery, stiff, large up to 15 cm (6 in) in length and elliptic to oval in form. Leaves are often deeply lobed when juvenile and on young shoots. 

The tree is monoecious, male and female flowers are borne on the same individual trees separately on short, stout stems that sprout from older branches and the trunk and male spikes are found on younger branches above female spikes.. Tiny male flowers are borne in oblong clusters 2 to 4 in (5-10 cm) in length; the female flower clusters are elliptic or rounded. It is one of the largest fruits that reaching as much as 36 kg in weight and up to 90 cm (36 in) long and 50 cm (20 in) in diameter

In generally, the seeds are collect from the ripe fruit then dried them in sun to store them for long time. The seeds can use for new plantation. The dried seeds most of time use to cook with vegetables. The wood of the tree is used for the production of musical instruments and widely used in the manufacture of furniture, doors and windows.

Artocarpus heterophyllus – Jackfruit - Jack fruit

Artocarpus heterophyllus – Jackfruit - Jack fruit : Young Plants

Artocarpus heterophyllus – Jackfruit - Jack fruit : Leaves

Artocarpus heterophyllus – Jackfruit - Jack fruit

Artocarpus heterophyllus – Jackfruit - Jack fruit

Artocarpus heterophyllus – Jackfruit - Jack fruit

Artocarpus heterophyllus – Jackfruit - Jack fruit

Artocarpus heterophyllus – Jackfruit - Jack fruit

Artocarpus heterophyllus – Jackfruit - Jack fruit

Artocarpus heterophyllus – Jackfruit - Jack fruit

Artocarpus heterophyllus – Jackfruit - Jack fruit

Artocarpus heterophyllus – Jackfruit - Jack fruit : Young Plant

Artocarpus heterophyllus – Jackfruit - Jack fruit

Artocarpus heterophyllus – Jackfruit - Jack fruit

Jack Fruit: 

Carpinus betulus – European Hornbeam

General Information Common Name  European Hornbeam Scientific Name  Carpinus betulus Sun Tolerance  Full Sun Height  12–15 m (40–60 ft) Spread  9–12 m (30–40 ft) Growth Rate  Slow Bloom Time  Spring Color  Green, Yellow Flower Color  Green Type  Tree Native  Western Asia and Europe

Classification Kingdom  Plantae – Plants Subkingdom  Tracheobionta – Vascular plants Superdivision  Spermatophyta – Seed plants Division  Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants Class  Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons Subclass  Hamamelididae Order  Fagales Family  Betulaceae – Birch family Genus  Carpinus L. – hornbeam Species  C. betulus

Carpinus betulus – European Hornbeam

Carpinus betulus Commonly known as Hornbeam is native to Western Asia and Europe, including southern England. Hornbeam in winter is frequently passed by as beech, to which it has many resemblances except that the trunk is nearly always fluted and the buds on the young shoots are slightly appraised. At other seasons the curious fruiting catkins and the saw-toothed margins of the leaves which follow them help in differentiation. Hornbeam is usually as a one-time coppiced or pollarded (often gnarled) medium-sized tree, but isolated specimens can sometimes be found in the most unexpected places.  It grows 12-15 m (40-60 ft) in height.

The young shoots are very slender and turn from green to brown. They carry pale brown slender winter buds, set alternately, and slightly bent inwards on the younger shoots. The 1-2 inch long leaves, usually ovate and with more prominent parallel veins than beech, have sharply and doubly saw-toothed margins, and are dull green on top, paler and yellowier underneath. They turn a rich yellow in autumn and on young trees below a height of about 10 feet the spent brown leaves often persist throughout the winter.

Carpinus betulus – European Hornbeam
The flowers appear in April along with the opening leaves. The pendent green male catkins, borne on the previous year’s twigs, carry about ten stamens, on filaments divided below the anthers, which are orange in color when they ripen. The female catkins, borne with the current season’s growth, are much shorter than the males, and have slender crimson styles protruding from beneath long, narrow, recurring bracts, each of which carries two flowers. The small nutlike fruits, hard, flattened, and ribbed, are subtended by a large three-lobed or dagger-shaped papery appendage consisting of bract and bracteoles (secondary bracts) fused together. They ripen by October and persist after the leaves fall, draping the tree in brown.

The bole and some branches are usually fluted or prominently ribbed and have smooth, pale grey bark, often with a bright metallic sheen. The almost white wood is very hard, heavy and tough – hence its name which means ‘horny tree’. It was formerly used for ox-yokes, cogs, mallets and wooden screws, and still serves as butchers’ chopping blocks.

Hornbeam makes a good hedge. It is becoming less plentiful in woods because many of its habitats are being taken to raise crops of more profitable forest trees.

Carpinus betulus – European Hornbeam

Carpinus betulus – European Hornbeam : Leaves

Carpinus betulus – European Hornbeam 

Carpinus betulus – European Hornbeam : Flowers

Carpinus betulus – European Hornbeam

Carpinus betulus – European Hornbeam : Fruits in Autumn

Carpinus betulus – European Hornbeam in Autumn

Carpinus betulus – European Hornbeam

Carpinus betulus – European Hornbeam

Carpinus betulus – European Hornbeam : Autumn

Carpinus betulus – European Hornbeam

Carpinus betulus – European Hornbeam : Autumn