Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with tree

tall, cat-safe indoor plants?

sentient — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 14:40:34 -0800

Wanted: recommendations for tall, indoor, cat-safe plants/trees. Superior, NASA-approved air-filtering and oxygen-producing properties are a plus. I've looked the previous askme and have seen the ASPCA list of cat-safe plants, as well as a helpful post on Apartment Therapy (last comment the page), which has some good prospects. But perhaps there are some others.

I'm looking for an indoor floor plant that's more tree-like than bush/shrub like -- maybe five feet tall, or so. It can't be toxic to cats, and being exceptional in the air-filtering department would be nice. Any recommendations?

Corner tree-threat or menace?

MrMoonPie — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 06:33:30 -0800

Corner Christmas tree--what's wrong with this idea? I live in a small city house, and finding a slim tree can be a challenge. I've seen several artificial trees that are shaped to fit in a corner, but my googling hasn't turned up anyone talking about shaving down a real tree. I'd like to get a nice, full tree, then cut a 90-degree angle in it (maybe not all the way up the trunk) so it will fit in a corner. Why isn't this a fantastic, space-saving idea? Will it look terrible? Will I get sap all over my walls?

Branching-out cosmological models

MattS — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 12:46:31 -0800

In the realm of astrophysics, are there any charts, graphs, or models (or even physical examples of star clusters, etc) that somewhat resemble the branches of a tree? Asking for a friend.

I've heard of fractal trees, aka Pythagoras trees, but what concept (if any) might they illustrate that relates specifically to astrophysics?

Are there any other charts, models, systems of geometry, etc that have branches or "root systems" that, when drawn out, look like a tree?

It can be a bit of a stretch, but I'm looking for a tree-like illustration of some astrophysical, inter-dimesional, or space-related concept.

Thank you!

How much should I charge for my fruit tree planting service?

Sentus — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 10:11:02 -0800

I am doing a lot of landscaping gigs lately, and want to start planting Edible Landscape for folks. How much should I charge for an edible tree package? Hello there fellow Mefi friends!

Fruit trees, Berries and Nut trees.

I will come to the customer, asses and test his soil for P.H and drainage, check the amount of sun the area is receiving, see that the area is large enough to provide space for future growth.

I am not going to push stuff that will not grow well in the area/problematic/high maintenance just to make a sell. Only trees that "want" to grow there, and will prosper without much maintenance, disease and pest problems.

Included:
* Healthy vigorous plants that have been checked for disease, been found free of "root bounding". Specific verities that adapted to the growing zone.
* Beautiful organic soil mixture tailored for new trees.
* Thick Layer (4"-6") of good mulch.
* An information pamphlet about the tree history, the specific variety, growing tips, watering schedules, pruning advice.

My questions will be:

1. What is the price range you would be willing to pay for something like that? How much for one tree? How much for a package of five shrubs/trees?
2. If the client have deer problem/huge dogs I can install a small durable fence. How much extra you think that worth to you?
3. What other services/extras I can offer that you think will make your decision more smooth?
4. Generally speaking, would you want a cheaper younger tree (2'-3' feet tall) or a more expensive and established tree (5'-8' feet tall)?
5. Any other suggestions and nuggets of wisdom?

Thank you and have a great day,

Julen träd? at IKEA?

ian1977 — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 08:43:18 -0800

Real Christmas trees at IKEA? Has anyone gotten a real Christmas tree at IKEA? Specifically, the Bloomington, MN IKEA? Someone told me they had them and they were quite reasonable. I can't find anything on IKEA's website.

If you got one there...is it nice? How much was it? Did the needles fall off a la Charlie Brown's tree? Did you have to put it together with brackets and wooden pegs? (i kid)

How do I grow an olive tree from the fruit of another?

DakotaPaul — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 22:31:18 -0800

Is it easy to grow an olive tree from the fruit of my current tree? I have a pendolino olive tree that's about three feet high, and it produced about a dozen olives that appear to be pretty ripe. Can I get another tree out of these, and if so, what's the best way to do it? Is it a simple as dropping them in some dirt and letting them do their thing?

WIN XP Directory Tree Software help?

dorgla — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 13:13:54 -0800

Need software which enables saving my Windows XP file directory tree and shows subfolders as a .gif, .jpg or .bmp. Google found some software which saves it as a text file, but I want the visuals of the actual folders in the tree structure.

Tree maintenance?

cjemmott — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 19:05:05 -0800

The trees at my house lost a dozen or so large branches in the earliest snow on record in central PA. Do all of the branches falling signify a problem with the trees? Do I need to do anything to help the trees recover? Because the leaves had not fallen yet, this was a common problem in the area. This has left a number of places where the branch remaining on the tree is ragged and split. Is this a problem? Do I need to do something about it?

If it matters, there are several types of trees in the yard, but the problem is with the sugar maples, which are abut 70 feet tall and 30 years old. A picture can be seen here.

More generally, do I need to do anything for my trees? Mostly I just rake their leaves in the fall and enjoy their shade in the summer. Is there anything I can do to make them more healthy? Or to protect the house?

How do I shepherd my trees through adolescence?

morganw — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 08:49:34 -0800

How should I support and trim my two trees so they'll grow up to be big and strong? They're past the sapling stage (in other words picture C) and when one broke its single support stick (about 6 feet high), I trimmed it and staked both. Now the untrimmed one caught enough wind to pull up a stake and break it's support stick.

The pictures include closeups of leaves & berries as I don't know what kind of trees these are. I'm in San Jose, California and I bought the house a year ago, soon after the trees were planted.

I've trimmed both down to 4 foot diameter cylinders so they'll live until I can get better support installed, but what's the tradeoff between trimming and support? Should I keep the support light and foliage trimmed to "encourage" the trees to thicken their trunks or do I need beefy support? The other trees on my street are also mostly young [Google StreetView] so the wind can be pretty strong.

Lastly, where do arborists get strips of tire?, which some prefer over wire through garden hose for spreading load & preventing bark chafing? The increasingly misnamed Orchard Supply Hardware (now owned by Sears) had sticks and stakes, but no ties of any kind.

Can a cherry tree survive in North Carolina clay?

reverend cuttle — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 19:31:41 -0800

New tree planted in clay with poor drainage. Can it / should it be saved? The tree is a young Yoshino Cherry Tree, trunk diameter of about 1.5 inches. I planted it a full sun area in the yard, and broke up the dirt to about twice the diameter of the root ball as directed. It's been in the ground for about 3 weeks.

Now every time it rains, more leaves turn yellow and drop off. At this point it's probably lost 15-20% of its foliage, but there's not much new growth either. I assume this is because of the soil's high clay content and poor drainage. Can I do anything to save the tree? Dig it up, aerate, and replant? Should I just wait and see if it makes it, possibly watching it die a slow death? What's the prognosis? I live in SE North Carolina, which is fairly damp.

Home repair referrals in Minneapolis please.

Juicylicious — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 16:56:53 -0800

I need a referral to a plumber in Minneapolis who can do a good job replacing my 1930 toilet. Also need a roof repair, sidewalk, and tree removal. I'm home on leave and as usual I find my home in disrepair after two years away.

I own a 1930 tudor duplex with the original bathroom fixtures and tile (both wall and floor). It has the old wall-mounted toilet tank, which has a hairline crack and is leaking. I am going to look for a replacement tank tomorrow. If I cannot find one, I will have to replace the entire toilet. After doing some preliminary internet research it appears that plumbing has changed quite a bit in the last 80 years and any replacing can damage walls, floors and aesthetics.

I need a recommendation for an experienced Minneapolis/St. Paul plumber who can either replace the tank or install a new toilet and not turn my bathroom into a disaster zone.

My roof also sustained some damage due from the recent tornadoes. The insurer says the damage is not enough to exceed the deductible. Still it has to be repaired in spots. I need an honest roof person.

I have to put in a sidewalk around my house, going from the front steps around through the backyard to the garage. I was thinking of those poured concrete pieces that look like stones. It is a job that I am not prepared to do on my own.

And lastly, there is a large tree on the property line in front of my house that is beginning to grow into my wrought iron fence. It must be removed. I hold no hope of the owner of the other property taking care of the problem.

All of this has to be done in the next four weeks before I deploy once again for another year.

CD downer

chickaboo — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 07:37:20 -0800

I'm having a problem installing Family Tree Maker 2010 - and I am getting an error message I don't understand. I have a CD for FTM2010 (I don't have a version of it on my computer right now). When i insert the CD, I get a message saying my DLA files aren't up to date. I think the system requirements are met (Windows XP Service pack 2).
Any ideas what is wrong? I tried it on my work computer and it began installing immediately.

Can you help me identify a NW tree that's in my yard? Info, photos and ...

lois1950 — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 20:39:25 -0800

Stumped! Can you help me ID a tree in my yard? (In the Northwest)? Here's a 'before' photo of the tree, which was trimmed today and looks awesome but everyone I know, including a few arborists ID it differently.
Here's a close up of a branch and needles

Here's what I'm pretty sure it's not:
Cryptomeria japonica
Calocedrus decurrens (Incense Cedar)
Sequoia giganteum.

If it's a juniper, what kind of juniper???
The branches smell a little like pines.
The needles are soft and sharp when green and very prickly when brown and dead.
When you look head-on at a stem, the needles are arranged like organized little x's, not spiral.
The tree is <20'
I'm in the northwest.
It's an evergreen conifer and has very small cones.
Thank you!

Why don't we eat the leaves off the trees?

escabeche — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 07:45:05 -0800

Why do we eat leaves from plants that grow on the ground, but not from trees? Help me give my three-year-old authoritative answers to his difficult questions. He wanted to know why we don't eat leaves off the trees. And I have no idea! Other animals eat tree leaves, and people eat all kinds of green leaves from lettuces, cabbages, herbs, etc. Are tree leaves non-nutritive for humans? Would they make us sick? Or do they just taste bad? Please help me be Dad Who Knows Everything.

Looking for a smoketree

Joleta — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 20:06:32 -0800

Where can I buy a smoketree (Cotinus coggygria) in the Chicago area? My husband saw this tree at a friend's house and fell in love with it. He wants one for our yard, but I can't find a local garden center or tree nursery that has any for sale. I'm looking for a decent-size tree, not a little sapling. We're in the western suburbs of Chicago, but any nursery that will deliver and plant the tree for us is fine.

What is this tree with black berries ?

llc — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 16:35:57 -0800

What is this tree with black berries ? I would like help identifying a tree that has volunteered in my yard in the Pacific Northwest, US. I know a picture would help but I don't have a camera. I don't guess that this tree is native to my area.

The tree is deciduous with dark green to black bark in the winter. In summer the bark is green stippled with brown. The leaves are mostly in whorls of four but there are some whorls of five and some alternate leaves. The leaves are dark green on top and lighter green on bottom. The newest leaves are paler with tinges of red. If I remember the flowers correctly they are small, whitish and in clusters. These become black berries on red stems. The tree is currently eight feet tall and doesn't seem done yet.

I haven't found this tree in on-line keys. If you have a recommendation for a key, or a suggestion on identification, that would be great. Thank you.

Please, don't pee on the azaleas!

tryniti — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 19:00:30 -0800

How do I keep my dogs from peeing on the concrete? So we just bought and moved into a new house (hooray!). For the first time since I've had my dogs (about 8 years), we have a beautiful and quite large yard for them. Problem is, between the back door and the actual grass is a large concrete area, leading to a small slate paved area. There are flower beds with border grass, azalea bushes, and assorted landscaping along the patio-type area. So far, every time I let the dogs outside, my male dog runs outside and pees on the first green thing he encounters, which results in a large puddle of dog pee on the concrete. I can see that this is quickly going to result in a stinky patio. The female is doing marginally better, but I've caught her peeing on the slate tile a time or two as well.

Now, we've only been in the house since Saturday. So far my plan of attack has been to run outside with the dogs and try to yell "No!" when I see one of them peeing in the non-grass, along with praising when I see them pee in the grass. It's not working at all. I am fairly dog savvy, but I admit, I'm totally stumped as to how to keep the dogs from doing this.

Additional information: the dogs are a nine and eight year old male and female doberman, respectively. They are spayed/neutered, and are indoor dogs. I've always lived in homes where the back door basically opened into grass, so they are not used to having a 'patio'.

Is there a special trick to preventing a dog from peeing on concrete? Should I just keep going with the "No" and the positive reinforcement for peeing in grass?

Sweet and sour

Gneisskate — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 19:10:17 -0800

Where can I buy an orange tree in DFW? I'm looking for a small one that would fit on my patio (in a pot). Searching nurseries in the area doesn't give detail on what they have. Satsumas would be perfect, but I'd be satisfied with most any citrus.

Marula? Marula? Marula?

thesmallmachine — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 00:13:23 -0800

How do I pronounce "marula?" In space? We are making a science-fiction film in which, at one point, a character mentions a marula tree. The film is in English, although it's set on a completely different planet and the cast are presumed to actually be speaking a non-English language (though they have various made-up regional accents). The scriptwriter, however, used some Earth plant and animal names so that glancing references would be clearer.

So, "marula." There are a couple of videos on YouTube where people say the word, but a person's accent and origins seem to make a big difference in its pronunciation, and I can't find any American voices so I don't know what the default American take on the word would be. I don't want the actor to say it wrong, but I increasingly have no idea what "wrong" is. Have you got any experience with this word? How do you say it, and where are you from?

what are these weird red things?

5_13_23_42_69_666 — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 13:21:09 -0800

What the heck are these little red knobs growing on my tree? I just noticed these yesterday - they are growing on the tree that's just outside my bedroom window, and I have no idea what they could be. fungus? bug eggs? aliens? I don't have a very good screen for my window, and I worry that they'll hatch or something and my room will be crawling with bugs. ack!

I live in downtown Toronto, if that helps. Thanks!

Oh, Wounded Tree

tomwheeler — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 22:06:01 -0800

A large branch from the young red bud tree we had planted eighteen months ago was broken during a storm earlier this week. What can I do to ensure its survival? The branch held about 35% of the trees leaves and broke off at the trunk, leaving a long strip of the tree's wood exposed (approximately one inch wide and seven inches long). The wound is around 40" off the ground, or about one-third of the way up the tree. It also cuts into the trunk about an inch at the deepest point and the trunk is probably only three inches thick there.

The tree was doing quite well before Wednesday's storm and it seems to be doing OK so far. Pending some good advice, I have not put pruning compound on the wound or do anything else other than cut off the severed branch and water it a couple of times.

Will the tree survive? What should I do to care for it?

Please help me find some linguistics posters!

iamkimiam — Thu, 28 May 2009 08:37:07 -0800

Looking to purchase some awesome linguistics-related posters. I've searched for hours on the internet and I can't seem to find any family tree posters, IPA posters, or even anything remotely related to linguistics that is interesting and somewhat academic. It would be cake to find something like the "History of Programming Languages" poster, but for Indo-European languages or some other branch of the world tree. I'm tempted to just make a language tree poster myself, but that'd be a LOT of work.

Also, any ideas to spruce up a giant bulletin board and/or small linguistics 'lab' room are welcome.

Help me identify this tree!

thermonuclear.jive.turkey — Wed, 27 May 2009 05:54:55 -0800

What is this tree? Hi, please help me try to identify this type of tree (bush? shrub?).

photos are here:

1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Thanks in advance.

What is growing on my tree?

Steve3 — Sun, 24 May 2009 07:56:23 -0800

What are these red, spiky... "things" growing on the leaves of my linden tree? Link to pictures inside. Picture 1
Picture 2

Just noticed them this (Memorial Day) weekend. They're just a few mm long, on maybe 5-10% of the tree. It's a young tree, planted 3 years ago from nursery stock.

I'm wondering if this could be a danger to the tree, or just something that can harmlessly live on the tree with no ill effects.

Can you ID this tree?

jjsonp — Fri, 08 May 2009 18:26:54 -0800

Can anyone identify this tree? My sister works for a company that places/maintains plants for businesses, malls, etc.

They can't agree as to what type of tree/shrub this is. Can anyone ID this (preferably with links to a description/pics)?

Pic 1
Pic 2
Pic 3

Thanks.