Tree ID

[HikeUp]

What kind of tree is this? It's located near the upper campgrounds at Henninger Flats.


Close-up...

[Hikin_Jim]

Dang. I'm at work, so I can't see an Flickr photos. Sorry, no Botany-fu today.

[HikeUp]

Dang. I'm at work, so I can't see an Flickr photos. Sorry, no Botany-fu today.

LOL. Let's see if this works...

[Hikin_Jim]

Well, I can definitely see that one, but I have no idea what it is. I'm pretty good with native tree species, but I suspect this is not a native. A lot of the trees in the Henninger Flats area are introduced species.

One of the reasons I'm good at identifying native tree species is that there aren't that many of them.

Native Tree Species in the greater LA area:
Oaks
1. Coast Live Oak Quercus Agrifolia
2. Valley Live Oak Quercus Lobata
3. California Black Oak Quercus Kelloggii
4. Canyon Live Oak Quercus Chrysolepis
There area also a number of other members of the quercus genus locally, but they are generally regarded as scrub oaks and not trees.
Conifers
1. Big Cone Douglas Fir Psuedotsuga Macrocarpa
2. Coulter Pine Pinus Coulterii
3. Singleaf Pinyon Pinus Monophyla
4. Sugar Pine Pinus Lambertiana
5. Limber Pine Pinus Flexilis
6. Lodgepole Pine Pinus Contorta
7. Jeffery Pine Pinus Jefferii
8. Ponderosa Pine Pinus Ponderosa
9. Utah Juniper Juniperus Osteopsperma (I believe that's our local species. I might verify that when I get home.)
10. Incense Cedar Calocedrus Decurrens
11. White Fir Abies Concolor
12. Digger Pine (aka Gray Pine) Pinus Sabiana
Misc
1. California Black Walnut Can'tus Rememberus -- Juglans I think is the genus
2. Hollyleaf Cherry Prunus Illicifolia
3. California Bay Laurel Umbelularium Californica
4. Big Leaf Maple Acer Macrophylum
5. Fremont Cottonwood Populus Fremontii (I may be mistaken about the species, and there may be 2 species locally)
6. Sycamore Plantanus Racemosa (not sure about the common species name for our local sycamore trees)
7. White Alder Alnus Rhombofolia
8. Mexican Elderberry Sambucus Caerulea
-There are also a number of native willow species, some of which grow to tree like proportions but are not generally regarded as tree species.
-There are also rarer species like the Catalina Cherry or the Torrey Pine that I'm not going into. I'm trying to cover what one would normally see in the Front Ranges and High Country of the local mountains.

Lastly, don't take my Latin declensions as gospel. I often will make declension errors like macrophyla when I mean macrophlum and the like.

4 oaks + 12 conifers + 8 misc = 24. I've probably missed a couple since I'm doing this off the top of my head, but you get the idea: They're aren't that many native tree species, so identification isn't that bad.

[Taco]

It ain't a green tree, that much's fer sure. 8)

[HikeUp]

It ain't a green tree, that much's fer sure. 8)

Thanks. That should narrow it down a bit.

[Taco]

Always here to help.

[Hikin_Jim]

Hmm, no one appears to have caught the (ahem) subtle humor in one of my Latin names.

[Taco]

Nobody wants to see your black walnuts, Jim.

[HikeUp]

Nobody wants to see your black walnuts, Jim.

Yeah, not our fault you can't remember where they are.

[Hikin_Jim]

Updated with multiple corrections. Now quit yer kvetchin'.


Native Tree Species in the greater LA area:
Oaks
1. Coast Live Oak Quercus Agrifolia
2. Valley Live Oak Quercus Lobata
3. California Black Oak Quercus Kelloggii
4. Canyon Live Oak Quercus Chrysolepis
There area also a number of other members of the quercus genus locally, but they are generally regarded as scrub oaks and not trees.
Conifers
1. Big Cone Douglas Fir Pseudotsuga Macrocarpa
2. Coulter Pine Pinus Coulteri
3. Singleaf Pinyon Pinus Monophylla
4. Sugar Pine Pinus Lambertiana
5. Limber Pine Pinus Flexilis
6. Lodgepole Pine Pinus Contorta
7. Jeffery Pine Pinus Jefferyi
8. Ponderosa Pine Pinus Ponderosa
9. Utah Juniper Juniperus Osteopsperma (I believe that's our local species. I might verify that when I get home.)
10. Incense Cedar Calocedrus Decurrens
11. White Fir Abies Concolor
12. Digger Pine (aka Gray Pine) Pinus Sabiniana
Misc
1. California Black Walnut Juglans Californica
2. Hollyleaf Cherry Prunus Ilicifolia
3. California Bay Laurel Umbellularia Californica
4. Big Leaf Maple Acer Macrophyllum
5. Fremont Cottonwood Populus Fremontii (I may be mistaken about the species, and there may be 2 species locally)
6. California Sycamore Plantanus Racemosa
7. White Alder Alnus Rhombofolia
8. Mexican Elderberry (aka Blue Elderberry) Sambucus Caerulea sometimes also listed as Sambucus Mexicana or Sambucus Nigra, subspecies, Caerulea Apparently this is a big deal with botanists.

[Mike P]

My money is on California Buckeye, Aesculus california. They are not native to this part of the San Gabriel Range but are present in the NW part of the Angeles NF. If you hike the Pacific Crest Trail on Liebre Mountain, for instance, there are tons of buckeyes there. This one (if it is a buckeye) at Henninger must be introduced.

I'm a little shaky on tree ID, though. Take what I have to say with a grain of salt.

[Dudley Heinsbergen]

i saw one of these in sequoia last weekend. my brother cut one of those fruits open to see if it smelled good, so he could eat it, and it was too sour, so he threw it on the ground. (great story!)

goood luck finding out what it is

[HikeUp]

Awesome reference list HJ...thanks.

My money is on California Buckeye, Aesculus california.

Here's a pic I found of the california buckeye. Sure does look like it. Thanks Mr. P.

And thanks Dudley (great character!), I'll be sure not try and eat one!

Here I was thinking the only California Buckeye was Joe (JMunaretto).

[Mike P]

Hey HikeUp!

Buckeyes are the perfect size and weight for throwing at fellow hikers in your group. Take it from a veteran of buckeye wars...