#build3

Franchet’s Maple

Acer sterculiaceum

Family (Botanic):  Sapindaceae Tree or Plant Type: Tree Foliage: Deciduous Native Locale: Non-native,  central and southwestern China Landscape Uses: Specimen Size Range: small/medium (20 feet high, 15 feet across) Light Exposure: Full sun Hardiness Zones: Zone 3-6 (estimate)

BUILD/BEAUTY

This specimen is located in the Arnold Arboretum, which is not a 10,000 foot mountain top in China. The original location of this tree was in the Himalayas, of southern China and Bhutan. This tree’s leaves are not typical for a maple, being kind of oblong as well as 3 pointed instead of the regular 5 or 7 points. This example was losing its dead leaves, but the leaves still were a deep, thick leathery green with a fuzzy underside. This might be my favorite maple, although it is not native to the area. The tree gets a 4 out of 4 for its leaves. The bark is similar to that of many other maples, nothing special or of note, its skin is pretty smooth with no deep furloughs although some scarring near the bases of branches, gets a 1 out of 3. For landscape uniqueness, this tree I find interesting and will keep in mind when looking for a small tree to plant, it gets a 3 out of 3. This is the highest scoring maple ever with 8 out of 10 for beauty

Bark: (1-3) 1

Leaves: (1-4) 4

Landscape uniqueness: (1-3) 3

Total: 8

This tree is also exceptionally hard to find building information about, but there was some information about its brother, the Himalayan Maple, Acer oblongum. The wood is used for plywood, small constructional pieces and for decorative wood pieces such as ladles or cups. This wood isn’t the hardest to work, so its a fair option for a local Asian wood that is plentiful and useful. This tree will still only get a 3 out of 10 for build, as it has some uses but not enough

Source:

1. http://arnoldia.arboretum.harvard.edu/pdf/articles/2010-68-2-qinling-maple-acer-tsinglingense-or-franchet-s-maple-acer-sterculiaceum-subsp-franchetii.pdf

2. http://temperate.theferns.info/plant/Acer+sterculiaceum

Korean Mountain Ash

Sorbus alnifolia

Family (Botanic): Rosaceae Tree or Plant Type: Tree Foliage: Deciduous  Native Locale: Non-native, Korea Landscape Uses: Specimen, Shade tree Size Range: Large tree (60-80 feet tall, 50-70 feet wide at maturity) Light Exposure: Full sun Hardiness Zones: Zone 4-7

BUILD/BEAUTY

This Korean Mountain Ash is located in the Arnold Arboretum, and has some of the most recognizable fruits of any tree. The entire tree is covered in these small little red fruits. The youngest twigs are bright red, matching the fruits color, and transitions into the grey of the real thick branches and trunk. The bark of this tree is pretty smooth, with minimal furrows and lichen. The bark gets a 2 out of 3 for its smoothness. The leaves earn a 2 out of 4, as they are simple, but their fruiting bodies are pretty attractive, especially from far away, the whole tree is red. The landscape uniqueness is high, this tree looks great in a landscape, and i’m sure in its natural location on a mountain the red really pops. This leaves the korean mountain ash with a score of 7 out of 10 for beauty

Bark: (1-3) 2

Leaves: (1-4) 2

Landscape uniqueness: (1-3) 3

Total: 7

This is one of the most difficult trees to find information about its wood. The general opinion is that although this tree grows quickly and largely, the Korean mountain ash wood isn’t great for woodworking, but some have used it for furniture such as end tables, or desk tops. It polishes up well, and can hold stain. The strength of this wood is unknown to me, but it has been traditionally used in Korea to create farming tools, especially these things called ‘jige’ which is a multipurpose tool that can carry things as well as act as a stand. I will award this tree a  3 out of 10 for buildability, due to it being used mostly as a decorative tree rather than for its wood.

Source:

1. https://www.mortonarb.org/trees-plants/tree-plant-descriptions/korean-mountain-ash

2. https://www.gardenia.net/plant/sorbus-alnifolia-korean-mountain-ash)

Hudsonia (Beach Heather)

Hudsonia tomentosa

Family: rockrose (Cistaceae) Habitat: beaches, pine barrens, sand hills Height: 3-8 inches Flower size: 1/4 inch across Flower color: yellow Flowering time: May to July Origin: native

This low lying shrub plant exists mainly on the dunes of beaches, hence the name ‘beach’ heather. The plant flowers lovely yellow flowers from May to July. Although the plant is good looking, it truly doesn’t fit into my theme of build/beauty, or does it? The beach heather does a great job of helping hold secondary dunes together, as well as provide a structural framework via root systems to hold the sand in place. This is crucial to coastal buildings that may be threatened by rising sealevels

(photo source: https://www.mass.gov/service-details/landscaping-a-coastal-beach-or-dune)

The Hudsonia will gain some build points for this ability to hold the barrier beach together, awarding it a 3 out of 10. 

For beauty, the Hudsonia in my honest opinion is ugly. I don’t like the appearance of this beach plant, it looks rough in the landscape, almost like a mutated moss. 

Bark: (1-3) 0 

Leaves: (1-4) 1

Landscape uniqueness: (1-3) 1

The beauty score I award is only a 2 out of 10.

Source:

1. https://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=HUTO

2. https://www.ct-botanical-society.org/Plants/view/273