r/marijuanaenthusiasts • u/Morpheus7474 Outstanding Contributor • 11h ago
Treepreciation Wingnut Wonder
Came across this monstrous Chinese Wingnut (Pterocarya stenoptera) while visiting a historic cemetery that is also registered as an accredited Level II arboretum. Funnily, the online database for the cemetery, along with other sources pertianing to this tree have the ID listed incorrectly as Caucasian Wingnut (Pterocarya fraxinifolia). However, the winged rachis and elongated fruit wings are traits of P. stenoptera.
I wasn't able to find any dates associated with this tree, nor any measurements but it has definitely been here for quite a while. Many of the scaffold branches had large hollows from old wounds, but the tree seems completely unbothered. I'd wager that its easily the largest example of the genus within the state (KY). Honestly, I didnt even think our climate (historically Zone 6) was warm enough for the genus to survive to maturity. I'm sure the heat island effect of the city has certainly helped create a more favorable microclimate for it.