Mystery tree?

We have a mystery tree in our back garden and would love to discover what it is

We've only lived in the house for just over one year and have seen the tree blossom, but we're hoping that maybe it could be a fruit tree; although it has produced no fruit so far :(

Here is a photo of the tree:

Here is a photo of a leaf from the tree:



Any help would be great, we've already asked a few people what they think it might be, but no one is really certain...

 

Hello, foob, and welcome to GC!

I won't venture a guess on your tree although I've had a thought or two. Have you asked the neighbours whether it flowers or fruits?

Someone here will surely identify it for you but in the meantime enjoy the forum!

 

Hello lady of leisure

Thankyou for the reply, we did ask our neighbours (they have lived there for a very long time) but this was the only tree they were not sure about, any ideas you have would be appreciated, we think so far maybe a cherry or apple?

Looks like a great forum, we're new to gardening so will have many questions along the way

 

Hi, foob.

My first thought was a Malus, flowering crab apple, as we were given one about 15 years ago when we lived in Bucks as an anniversary present. I was a bit "taken aback" by such a present so the giving people (the MD of the company I worked for) took it back and bought a Prunus, flowering cherry, instead! I've been gone for seven years so I can't remember the leaf now to be honest.

These were my initial two thoughts! :D

However, surely you would have seen it bloom last year?

 

Sorry, foob, it's me again.

I now see where you have seen it flower. It would only be a flowering tree not a fruiting one. You can trim and train them into a nice shape.

Isn't Market Harborough where all the shoes are made ???? where I used to go buy lots of shoes ????

 

LoL,sorry to Hijack the thread but Northampton used to be where all shoes were made Trickers,Churches,Crockett and Jones,etc also Earls Barton where I used to live had Barkers and White's,not sure about Market Harborough though

 

Thanks for the info Lady of Leisure

Someone else did mention that it may be a crab apple tree, would of been nice to get some kind of fruit from it though, was hoping maybe it just needed another tree to help it pollinate

Hi Kandyfloss, Market Harborough is about 20 miles north of Northampton, half way between Northampton and Leicester

 

Hi foob and welcome.
The leaves look exactly like the ones on my greengage. What colour was the blossom?

 

Hiya Blackthorn
Thankyou for the reply, we missed most of the blossom as we were away on holiday at the time, however the very small amount that's still there is white (maybe very slighly pale pink). It hasn't produced any fruit since we've lived here....

 

If it doesn't produce any fruit at all I would guess it is an ornamental plum or cherry (prunus) of some kind, as Lady of Leisure says.

Crab apples usually have small crabs even if unpollinated by other apples, and apple tree leaves are more shiny rather than matt as your sample is.
We will see if someone else has other ideas.

 

Yep it definitely doesn't have shiny leaves, is a bit of an odd tree really, it now has an apple and a plum tree near by so this might help pollination (if it's not just an ornamental tree).

Will be surrounded by an allotment patch soon too

 

from memory I would say that the leaf is more like a prunus tree rather than apple.
In Italy we have all kind of fuit trees in my parents yard...I could recognize the leaf immediately if I was there!
But possibly I can find out...

 

Hi Miraflores,
If you have anyway of finding out if it's a prunus tree that would be great

The leaf I photographed is about 4-5cm in length, if that helps

Ta

 

You say that there are other fruit trees nearby.
Could you get a leaf from those tree and compair it to yours?
I am a bit puzzled about the shape.
Usually fruit trees tend to have branches departing from the top half, but on your tree it looks like they are in the lower half as well.
What is the colour of the trunk?
Also, is it smooth and shiny or more corrugated...?
I also thought about an elm tree, but then the whitish flowers don't sound right...

[ 03. May 2007, 10:43 PM: Message edited by: miraflores ]

 

Yep there are a few other small trees in the garden. There are 3 apple trees which were there when bought the house, although the leaves on these trees don't look the same as the mystery tree. We have also planted ourselves a cherry blossom tree (again different leaves) and also a plum tree (this was just the other day, and is still in bud, so no leaves yet). However we have also planted another apple tree just behind the mystery tree (is difficult to see in the photo) which does have similar leaves (but a completely different shape).

The shape of the tree is part of the confusing bit for me too. The other 3 apple trees in the garden which were there when we bought the house have been very badly pruned, resulting in having not many (and very short) branches, right down to the base of the tree.

Here are two more closeup photos of the mystery tree:





Don't know if that helps any more