Saturday, November 20, 2010

Here is Freeman Maple -- a hybrid of Red Maple (Acer rubrum) and Silver Maple (Acer saccharinum) -- in Amos.

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The Freeman is said to be of borderline hardiness in zone 3 -- Jeffries Nurseries (Portage La Prairie, Manitoba) rates the two varieties it sells as "zone 3/4." Amos is in zone 2a, deep in the boreal forest, where neither the Freeman nor any other large maple is supposed to grow.

Red Maple is seen near its northern limit at Malartic.
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Tuliptree (Liriodendron tulipifera) is often rated as hardy to zone 5b, and its variable performance around Montreal appears to justify this. The most famous specimen, on the downtown McGill University campus, has been battered by severe cold and occasional ice storms since it was planted in 1949. But it flowers profusely every year, as does this better-formed tree in Senneville (notice the seed clusters).

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The two specimens seen from Sanford Ave. in St. Lambert were planted close to the path in 1952. Flowers first appeared in 1974.

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A few individuals seem very hardy, although the trunk is vulnerable to frost cracking. Here is an example from Sherbrooke in zone 4b.

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A better specimen, beyond the view of Google's camera, stands in Cowansville which belongs to the same zone.

Google was able to get close to this Saint-Hyacinthe tulipier.

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The Hampstead neighborhood is home to a 70-year-old London plane (Platanus x acerifolia), possibly the oldest and certainly the largest specimen of its kind in the Montreal area. Zoom in to get a good look at the characteristic seed clusters or "buttonballs."

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Southern Catalpa (Catalpa bignonioides) in Westmount. Bronwyn Chester's article about this specimen is at http://foretmontreal.blogspot.com/2011/08/island-of-trees-southern-catalpa-find.html .

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