What is this plant? seed attached to the root

Discussion in 'Plant ID' started by redhawk44, Jun 5, 2008.

  1. redhawk44

    redhawk44 New Seed

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    My wife tells me that she has been finding this plant in all of her flower beds.

    We live in SW Michigan.

    As far as we know, we have nothing that produces a seed like that attached to the root of this plant.

    Do any of you know what it is?

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
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  3. toni

    toni Mistress of Garden Junque Staff Member Moderator Plants Contributor

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    That looks like a pecan sapling. Squirrels, birds and other critters carry them to a safe place to bury them for winter food then forget where they are.

    I pull them up out of my yard constantly.

    If you need trees in your yard you can transplant that one and any others you find with the nut attached and a long portion of the tap root.

    Try to always get the nut out if you don't want them, leaving the nut means the tree will come back year after year, be stronger each time and everytime the stem (future trunk) is just broken off it will double the next time.
     
  4. glendann

    glendann Official Garden Angel

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    Yes, that is a pecan tree sapling.Some critter is planting them for you. :)Do as toni says and you will be ok.
     
  5. SongofJoy57

    SongofJoy57 In Flower

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    Toni & Glendann:
    You gals know your seeds!!!! ;) How interesting.
     



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  6. Sjoerd

    Sjoerd Mighty Oak

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    I tend to think that it could be an acorn that has sprouted...an oak tree sort.
    Also, do Pecan trees normally grow in that latitude?

    If I'm wrong you girls can have a good laugh on me. :D
     
  7. glendann

    glendann Official Garden Angel

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    Sjored you could be right but I don't think so :)
     
  8. Sjoerd

    Sjoerd Mighty Oak

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    Oh well... that's part of the fun here.
    The leaves don't look right to me either for a Pecan.
    Having said that, I have to admit that North American trees are not my speciality.

    Perhaps Redhawk will plant it in a pot and let it develop more leaves over the summer--by then we should have a of idea.
     
  9. glendann

    glendann Official Garden Angel

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  10. SongofJoy57

    SongofJoy57 In Flower

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    Well . . . when I looked at the seed (nut) . . . I thought pecan . . . but if you took the cap off of an acorn then it looks similar to a pecan . . . the leaves are wrong for a pecan . . . and there are several types of oaks . . . :rolleyes: I am totally confused.
     
  11. eileen

    eileen Resident Taxonomist Staff Member Moderator Plants Contributor

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    I was going to say oak too Sjoerd but there again I wouldn't have a clue what a pecan seedling looks like as we definately don't have them here in Scotland.
     
  12. Sjoerd

    Sjoerd Mighty Oak

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    Say Redhawk... could you send a macro foto of that nut/seed? I would like a closer look. This discussion is getting better and better. :)
     
  13. toni

    toni Mistress of Garden Junque Staff Member Moderator Plants Contributor

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    Redhawk, we do know that it is a nut producing tree of some species. ;)

    There are 17 different varieties of pecan trees I don't know if they all have identical leaves but I know that there are many varieties of Oak and their leaves are all different.
    The ones I have been pulling up by the dozens for the last 10 years look pretty much like the picture tho. But none of the Oak saplings I have pulled up do.

    Not all the pecans look alike and there are a couple of varieties of pecans with nuts that do resemble acorns especially after the nut has been in the ground for at least a year maybe longer before it sprouted.

    Pecans do prefer being in the south but they are native all the way up into the Great Lakes region so there could be some in SW Michigan.
     
  14. Sjoerd

    Sjoerd Mighty Oak

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    This is exciting...and informative.
     
  15. redhawk44

    redhawk44 New Seed

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    I don't think Pecans grow in Michigan either and she says that she has found about 6 of them so far.

    I think an acorn has a little point on the bottom that this thing does not have.

    Here is a little closer up picture.....
    [​IMG]

    Wait, I think it IS an acorn.

    If you look at this photo, you may see where the little cap was and has either decayed or fallen off. The stem/trunk comes out on the pointy end.

    Thanks for the interest, it is nice talking to you folks.
    [​IMG]
     
  16. SongofJoy57

    SongofJoy57 In Flower

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    [​IMG]
    (Oak seedling)

    I have never seen a pecan tree with leaves like that. Ours are long narrow and pointy.

    I dunno yal
     

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