I was given a Russian tree from my teacher and was told that if i identified it i would get extra points. It is about 4 weeks old. Description: It has 3 bright green leafs and a fourth leaf sprouting.The leafs are round with 7 rounded points. It is about 2.5 inches tall. It's trunk is mostly the same color of its leafs but has a hint of red. I have done some research on it and the closest thing i could find is called a mamoth sunflower. If you think you know what it is reply with a title of: Russian tree identification.
Did your teacher tell you what part of Russia it is from? Is there a time deadline for when you have to come up with a name? Did the teacher give you any advice on how to care for the plant while you are trying to identify it? Is this an assignment from a Botany or Geography class? Many trees are impossible to identify as a seedling (unless you are familiar with the tree and have seen the seedlings), the first leaves are not true leaves and typically do not resemble the leaves of the mature tree. If you have been given a few months to identify it, then wait until another set of leaves appear. Mammoth Sunflower is not a tree, but an annual flower that will reach the height of 8-12 feet tall. Many of the trees in Russia are species of the same Genus that grows in other parts of the world and so far I have not found seedling photos of those trees that resemble yours but the first leaves can be confusing when it comes to identifying it.
Iris TreeHugger,..if someone showed me that plant i would right away have said it was a young Nasturtium Plant,..its a look-alike for sure
Toni, thank you for looking at the tree type! My seventh grade science teacher gave this to me and i have until school starts to identify it. He did not give me any further information on it. I do not know if it is a Russian tree that grows in the U.S.A, or where it is from. Also this is not an assignment that will hurt my grade if i do not complete, but I get extra points added to my grade.
Philip Nulty, I have heard from multiple people that it looks like a Nasturtium, but those are not Russian and are not quite as tall. Although it is a definite possibility so thank you for looking into that.
Are you in the U.S or another country? One question about this being a Russian plant. It is not easy to get seeds across national borders, most countries have tight restrictions about mailing or in any way bringing seeds or plants from other countries into their countries. Tropaeolum majus 'Empress of India' (Nasturtium, Indian Cress) Tropaeolum majus (Nasturtium) click on the blue links and look at photos of the plant. Check out the leaves in the photos. Nasturtium plants will grow to be 6 inches to 12 inches tall when mature....they are not trees either.
Iris TreeHugger,..i agree Nasturtiums are not Russian,..some claim from Bolivia,..however perhaps the seed for your plant was not Russian,..or the plant was wrongly tagged,..just trying to cover your back in case someone is winding you up,..examine your plant leaf markings and compare it to a Google Image below. Images for Nasturtium
Toni... I am in the United states of america. I do agree, but the teacher gave it to me as a seed, so it may have been easier. Although that brings up the point that some plants are in the U.S. have Russian in the name. I have forgot the name but it is something like the Russian Maple. Maybe we could do some more research on the Russian Maple (if that is what it is called) and see if the sprouts match my tree. I do not think there is a way to ask my teacher, but if there is, I will ask him. I Do think the Nasturtiums look very similar, but the way the leafs grow are different. If you look at the photos from my first post on this thread, the leafs come off of the stem differently. The Nasturtiums have the leafs coming out of the stem at different heights The Russian tree, however, has the three leafs coming out of the trunk. It is a little hard to explain but, the trunk ends when the leafs begin. This may be because it is a seedling, but look at the pictures for more information. Also, the seed was large. It was like the size of a small cone (although it was a seed not a cone) I unfortunately, I cannot give you more information about the seed because I have practically forgotten. I will look at Nasturtiums seed pictures and see if I can remember if it matches.
That is a nasturtium.... a flower, not a tree. maybe your teacher is testing you or maybe the teacher was wrong but that is not a tree. Keep growing it and see if it flowers for you in a few more weeks. They generally have yellow orange or red flowers and are used as garnish for salads or in dinner plates. they are quite peppery tasting.
Sorry i was away from the computer,..if you want to start a thread. Top Left,..click on Forums. Select the type of forum you think suits your interest,..then on the top right,..in Blue,..click to start your Thread.
The only other type of similar leaf i can remember is a Greek Pomegranate,..the Russians have over 1000 species of Pomegranates,..Google will display the different species but you would go mad looking for the one with your plant type leaf,..however try for a dark fruit Pomegranate like Russian 26 Cold Hardy Pomegranate,..i hope i am not putting you on the wrong track as i still would bet its a Nasturtium young seedling
Let's try to solve this mystery by going back to basics. What was the seed like that your teacher gave you? If you can describe it for us it may be useful. Even teachers can get things wrong once in a while so he may have given you the seed thinking it was from a tree but it's not. Many tree seeds take a while to germinate so how long did yours take before it showed signs of growth? I agree with the others here that it looks very like the Nasturtium seedling. I have grown many over the years and they all looked just like yours. Fingers crossed we'll find out soon just what your mystery seed is growing up to be and that you'll get those extra points.
It makes sense to go back to the seed, but on the day I was so exited I did not have my full attention towards the seed. Although I do remember this, it was large. It was like the size of a small cone. It may have been smaller, but it was definitely larger than any flower seed I have seen. It was round and dark brown, the color of wood. Sorry I am so descriptive, but that is all I remember. The plant did take a while to sprout up. We thought it was not going to make it. I got it June 15th and it showed sighs of life probably on the 23d of June. It has been growing a tremendous amount each day, and still no signs of flowers. It has 3 big leafs a small leaf and a bud. The bud is growing the way that all of the other leafs have formed. Also I did not find a match with the greek pomegranate plant. I hope this information helps us crack the case!
