Plant and Tree ID please?

[HillBill]

Hi folks.

We went out for a walk a little earlier and found a little footpath leading to some fields/trees. Never seen the footpath before, and i've lived here nearly 8 years. Anyway we went exploring and we found it a veritable treasure trove of flora. Never seen anything around here that was in this new area. Found quite a few trees that dont grow round here as a general rule so i was quite happy.

One tree which i found was a type of maple. Not sure which one though so i was hoping someone may be able to id it by its leaves. I've looked on the web and cant get a close match, but sugar maple seems the closest.





Another plant i found i have never seen before i dont think. they were around 7 to 8 ft tall and the stems were 3 to 4 inches in diameter and had seed/flower buds that were as big as a large onion or small coconut. They were all located in or next to a patch of wild rhubarb, next to a stream.

Any ideas folks?

Thanks
Mark

[Androo]

Plant is Giant Hogweed (useful plant that), and the tree I'd agree, is most probably a Sugar Maple, but the lobes look a bit long for the Sugar Maples I know

[stuart f]

Hi HillBill,the second plant is Giant Hogweed(Heracleum mantegazzianum),not to be messed around with. If you get the sap on your skin it can cause dermatitis.

Cheers Stuart.

[HillBill]

Cheers guys.

Yeah i've just been reading about it. Invasive, dangerous. I've just read that the sap can seriously burn you and cause the skin to be photosensitive for years with frequent blister outbreaks for years. is this true?

There were maybe 20 along the stream bank. Should i have at them?

[Mesquite]

Plant is Giant Hogweed (useful plant that)

If you can say getting severe blistering from the sap useful...

As Stuart said, treat the Giant Hogweed with real care

[greensurfingbear]

Definitely giant hog weed and on the list of controlled flora. You should mention it to you local council and if they have the resources they should eradicate It. That is if it is on public land of course.


Orric

[HillBill]

It is on public land. The other side of the stream is a swimming baths and sports track complex.

Just reading about the sap burn thing. It says the sap burns if it gets on your skin in the presence of sunlight. So logically then the sap is inert on its own, and safe within the plant. So cutting them in darkness should avoid the effects? ( not that i intend to yet, until i know more)

What do you think guys?

[Harvestman]

The other thing about giant hogweed (and it is that) is that it is highly invasive along watercourses, so it is definitely worth getting rid of, especially if it is in an area where children might get to it. The stuff is nasty and a hazard to health if touched.

[Androo]

If you can say getting severe blistering from the sap useful...

As Stuart said, treat the Giant Hogweed with real care

Apologies OP, freudian typing...
Not the kind of plant I want to make a mistake like that with! (should've read dangerous plant)

[Mesquite]

It is on public land. The other side of the stream is a swimming baths and sports track complex.

Just reading about the sap burn thing. It says the sap burns if it gets on your skin in the presence of sunlight. So logically then the sap is inert on its own, and safe within the plant. So cutting them in darkness should avoid the effects? ( not that i intend to yet)

What do you think guys?

Trouble is getting the sap on you full stop... once on you you can get the blistering days or even weeks after the contact.

If you want to cut it down cover up all exposed flesh and cut it down with equipment that causes the least possible damage to the flesh of the stem... DO NOT use a strimmer whatever you do.

[HillBill]

Was thinking of using my cold steel kukhri machete. One chop at the base of the stem. They are hollow and thinnish walled, i saw a couple of broken ones. If i get them now then they wont have time for the seeds to be produced as they haven't flowered yet.

Trouble is getting the sap on you full stop... once on you you can get the blistering days or even weeks after the contact.

If you want to cut it down cover up all exposed flesh and cut it down with equipment that causes the least possible damage to the flesh of the stem... DO NOT use a strimmer whatever you do.

[Mesquite]

Was thinking of using my cold steel kukhri machete. One chop at the base of the stem. They are hollow and thinnish walled, i saw a couple of broken ones. If i get them now then they wont have time for the seeds to be produced as they haven't flowered yet.

That should be fine, just be careful when you wipe the blade clean afterwards.

While you're at it take some glyphosate based weedkiller with you and fill the hollow stems with it once you've cut it down. That's absorbed into the remains of the stems and thence into the roots and it is then killed off totally.

[Barn Owl]

But as said,once cut and dried the stems will make containers.

[xylaria]

It is on public land. The other side of the stream is a swimming baths and sports track complex.

Just reading about the sap burn thing. It says the sap burns if it gets on your skin in the presence of sunlight. So logically then the sap is inert on its own, and safe within the plant. So cutting them in darkness should avoid the effects? ( not that i intend to yet, until i know more)

What do you think guys?

i wouldnt like to risk it. Skin is a good barrier at stop general dirt getting in and red gooey things falling out. How good it is at stopping chemicals penitrating to where they do damage is another issue. the coumarins dont have to pentrate very deep to do damage. I dont know how well they go through the layers of skin, but I think they must, for burns to come up a day or so later when strong sun hits. The coumarins damage DNA in your skin cells as well, ie it causes skin cancer.

Gloves, balaclava and machete should do the job, or rubber NBC and machete. Remember to post piccys up, you can show this post to your defence attorny.

On more serious note give your skin good sniff, if exposed the bits smell of roses/new mown grass. If any bits of skin have been exposed scrub and cover so the sun doesn't hit it for few days.

[HillBill]

Thanks Fi

I didn't touch them other than to brush past the leaves.

Do you know of any neutralisers for the stuff that does the damage? Nature normally provides a solution. If its invasive though.....

[xylaria]

Thanks Fi

I didn't touch them other than to brush past the leaves.

Do you know of any neutralisers for the stuff that does the damage? Nature normally provides a solution. If its invasive though.....

Spit on the bit of skin the sap touchs. I do this or wash in stream when picking parsnip or normal hogweed. Sunblock, this doesn't have to be 5 quid a bottle sunscreen, zinc oxide cream [nappy cream] is normally cheaper with less chemical garbage. Naturally some clays would probably nutralize it, kaolin would certainly prevent damage, I would guess fullers earth would do some good.

[HillBill]

Cheers lass.

Spit on the bit of skin the sap touchs. I do this or wash in stream when picking parsnip or normal hogweed. Sunblock, this doesn't have to be 5 quid a bottle sunscreen, zinc oxide cream [nappy cream] is normally cheaper with less chemical garbage. Naturally some clays would probably nutralize it, kaolin would certainly prevent damage, I would guess fullers earth would do some good.

[HillBill]

Anyone else have an opinion on the tree ID?

Seems like sugar maple but the leaves are a bit different. I'd like to know, as if it is sugar maple then the 6 trees will be getting tapped next spring.

[blacktimberwolf]

I think it's an Emerald green maple.........there is also a Norwegian cultivar called the Emerald queen maple which is more resistant of urban enviroments.

[southey]

It really does look like a silver maple to me, any chance of an overall pic of the tree, the bark and what type of ground its growing in Mark?

[HillBill]

Will sort some more later when we walk past the stand they are in again.

It really does look like a silver maple to me, any chance of an overall pic of the tree, the bark and what type of ground its growing in Mark?

[blacktimberwolf]

Don't silver maple leaves have white-ish/grey (silvery ) undersides ?

[southey]

yup, mature leaves but not so silvery in new growth,

[treelore]

Hillbill you should inform the EA to the GHW plant and theyshould deal with it or contractors will come in to do the job. If you want to tackleit yourself, buy a disposable over suit with a hood, gloves (latex) and a duskmask and safety specks. You want to cut and double bag it and the tool you usealso place in a bag until you can clean with petrol or the like. Burn the GHWin an incinerator with the gloves, over suit and mask. The regen from the GHWwant to be sprayed off with round-up if you are near a water course, or injectit into the stem. But again the best bet is the EA, I’d just mention that kitsplay round there and it’s an accident waiting to happen ….that should get them to puta wiggle on

[John Fenna]

Genesis wrote a song about the giant Hogweed - worth a listen (it was EARLY Genesis - not the later carp pop based rubbish!)

[Colin.W]

Initally I thought the leaves were from a plane. if it is a mature tree it will have fruit like fluffy pop poms that have a really hard centre once you pull all the fluffy stuff off the outside.

[HillBill]

There is no fruit on the tree that i can see. Definitely nothing like plane fruit. They are mature (ish) trees, between 20 and 30 feet tall.

More pics.

This is the bark from the 3 trees in the stand. The first is the largest.









Leaves turned upside down with the wind. Not really silvery, just a paler shade of green



The stand. only the central 3 trunks are these maples.

[HillBill]

Aye, i'll give them a ring and see what they have to say.

Hillbill you should inform the EA to the GHW plant and theyshould deal with it or contractors will come in to do the job. If you want to tackleit yourself, buy a disposable over suit with a hood, gloves (latex) and a duskmask and safety specks. You want to cut and double bag it and the tool you usealso place in a bag until you can clean with petrol or the like. Burn the GHWin an incinerator with the gloves, over suit and mask. The regen from the GHWwant to be sprayed off with round-up if you are near a water course, or injectit into the stem. But again the best bet is the EA, I’d just mention that kitsplay round there and it’s an accident waiting to happen ….that should get them to puta wiggle on