Confused by tree

[Zodiak]

Hands up, I am rubbish at identifying trees and have started going out at lunctime to the nearby woods with my book, however I have found one that really stumped me.

It has leaves just like a maple (5 fingers), twisted yellow and brown catkins, but underneath there are small nuts aboiut 8mm long that look like hazel nuts.

Any ideas please?

[Nomad_Of_Soul]

sounds like a hazel but the leaves suggest otherwise, any chance of a photo? i'm slowly trying to learn about trees myself

[Silverback]

Well you have me stumped I have suggestions for two out of the three clues but not all three together . A pic is an absolute must for a proper ID

[Goose]

Is it London Plane?
http://www.answers.com/topic/london-plane-1

[bambodoggy]

Might be a field Maple of some sort or even a London Plane but as the others have said, without a piccy it's very very hard to give accurate advice.

Cheers,

Bam.

[falling rain]

Check the bark. If it's flaky it could well be a London plane as others have said, If it is growing in the town/city it's very likely as London planes can tolerate high pollution and not be affected. That's why there are lots of them in London and they are called London plane. (They don't just throw these names together you know ) There's a good picture of a leaf from a plane here http://www.the-tree.org.uk/BritishTrees/plane.htm.
Another possibility is a wild service tree (chequers) but this is unlikely as they are one of our rarest trees. They are fussy growers and everything needs to be just right for them to grow. A lot of our Wild services were cut down in the middle ages because the wood was used to make cross-bow stocks.
or maybe these as suggestions, but the catkins and 'nuts' don't add up on all of these.
Norway maple http://www.the-tree.org.uk/A/British_Trees.htm
http://www.the-tree.org.uk/A/British_Trees.htm
http://www.the-tree.org.uk/A/British_Trees.htm
http://www.the-tree.org.uk/A/British_Trees.htm

A picture of the leaves, bark..............and the mystery 'nuts' will be your best bet though as has been mentioned by the other folks

[Tricky]

hmmm, how about pin oak ?, looks like it has the characteristics you have mentioned

[Butchd]

That doesn't sound like a london plane. The fruit/seedcases look nothing like nuts, certainly not hazel, nor will they be in leaf yet. I've also never noticed catkins on them, though they must have something. When you say that you are going out at lunchtime, is it to a park? Just wondering if it's a non native for a start. Is the tree standing alone or in a hedge? Are the leaves and catkins on it at the moment or are the leaves and nuts actually on the ground?

[Zodiak]

OK time for a confession here, I have ben a pratt, but the clues were there.

The tree didn't have any leaves so I used what was under it, and looking again today I noticed that these Maple like leaves are the only ones around for some distance, including the bush hedge alongthe side of the field, which to all intents and purposes looks just like maple, and probably is

I an now 99% sure that the tree is a hazel (catkins and nuts) and the leaves actually blew over from the hedge

Talk about a dohh!! moment

But thanks for the comments so far

[bambodoggy]

Lol @ Zodiak!

No worries, it kept us entertained for a day

Cheers,

Bam.

[Justin Time]

The tree didn't have any leaves so I used what was under it, and looking again today I noticed that these Maple like leaves are the only ones around for some distance, including the bush hedge alongthe side of the field, which to all intents and purposes looks just like maple, and probably is
:

Been there, done that etc etc
but now we need to know which kind of maple you've found!

[Silverback]

Been there, done that etc etc
but now we need to know which kind of maple you've found!

Or how much Sycamore you have found

I know we have had a mild winter...again but those hazlenuts are worryingly early

[Zodiak]

but those hazlenuts are worryingly early

They were old and manky probably been there since last autumn.

I am taking my camera tomorrow to get photos.

[falling rain]

OK time for a confession here, I have ben a pratt, but the clues were there.

The tree didn't have any leaves so I used what was under it, and looking again today I noticed that these Maple like leaves are the only ones around for some distance, including the bush hedge alongthe side of the field, which to all intents and purposes looks just like maple, and probably is

I an now 99% sure that the tree is a hazel (catkins and nuts) and the leaves actually blew over from the hedge

Talk about a dohh!! moment

But thanks for the comments so far

There's always one Zodiak.......................a nd you're both of them

[Zodiak]

OK so I managed to get back with my camera

these are the catkins



Here is the tree from the path



A close up of the bark



and a leaf on the ground underneath it.



So I reckon that is a Hazle tree with a maple/sycamore leaf that had blown in from somewhere.

[Nomad_Of_Soul]

Well no one seems to have confirmed this but i'm gonna say its a common hazel and the leaf is a maple possibly a field maple. I'm no expert though and i am doing my detective work from books. Can anyone confirm?

[Justin Time]

I'd say the Hazel to the right of the larger picture is growing through the Field Maple in the foreground....