# Anyone know what kind of tree this is? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 1, 2011, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-know-what-kind-of-tree-this-is/594842 "2011-09-01T14:43:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![C3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/c3/32/3108_2.png) [@C3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C3)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2011, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-know-what-kind-of-tree-this-is/594842/1 "2011-09-01T14:43:11Z")
We bought a house a few months ago and this tree is in our backyard. It totally blocks the view from our kitchen window, so we had planned to get rid of it when we first moved in, but we’ve changed our minds. It attracts tons of butterflies and hummingbirds, which we’ve enjoyed immensely this summer. I’m curious about what kind of tree it is, though. We’re in Raleigh, NC. The flowers on the tree are white, but they’ve fallen off at this point and left behind dark pink pods which have opened up to reveal purple berries. Pictures: [Leaf](http://www.flickr.com/photos/8173731@N06/6103344920/) [Berry](http://www.flickr.com/photos/8173731@N06/6102797797/in/photostream/) [Whole tree](http://www.flickr.com/photos/8173731@N06/6103342294/in/photostream/) ---
**Author:** ![Baracus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/2bfe46/32.png) [@Baracus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baracus)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2011, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-know-what-kind-of-tree-this-is/594842/2 "2011-09-01T15:06:11Z")
[Clerodendron trichotomum](http://www.nurcar.com/featurdPlants/html/clerodendron.html) ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2011, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-know-what-kind-of-tree-this-is/594842/3 "2011-09-01T15:06:30Z")
It’s some sort of _Clerodendrum_. Unfortunately there are hundreds of species, they have been widely hybridised and they almost all produce fruit just like that so it’s impossible to be any more helpful. They are commonly called “glorybowers”, so if you do a Google image search for those two names you might be able to find something that matches the flowers you remember. Good luck. ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2011, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-know-what-kind-of-tree-this-is/594842/4 "2011-09-01T15:13:46Z")
Snap! While \*trichotomum \* is a good guess, it’s only one of many possibilities. ---
**Author:** ![C3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/c3/32/3108_2.png) [@C3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C3)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2011, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-know-what-kind-of-tree-this-is/594842/5 "2011-09-01T15:26:21Z")
Thanks! The pictures of the flowers in \*\*Baracus’ \*\* link are exactly what ours look like. The leaves are not variegated, so maybe the first one listed. If this isn’t the exact species, at least it gives me a good idea of what this thing is. ---
**Author:** ![Implicit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Implicit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Implicit)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2011, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-know-what-kind-of-tree-this-is/594842/6 "2011-09-01T15:39:32Z")
> [@C3](#): > > We bought a house a few months ago and this tree is in our backyard. It totally blocks the view from our kitchen window, so we had planned to get rid of it when we first moved in, but we’ve changed our minds. It attracts tons of butterflies and hummingbirds, which we’ve enjoyed immensely this summer. I’m curious about what kind of tree it is, though. > > We’re in Raleigh, NC. The flowers on the tree are white, but they’ve fallen off at this point and left behind dark pink pods which have opened up to reveal purple berries. Pictures: > [Leaf](http://www.flickr.com/photos/8173731@N06/6103344920/) > [Berry](http://www.flickr.com/photos/8173731@N06/6102797797/in/photostream/) > [Whole tree](http://www.flickr.com/photos/8173731@N06/6103342294/in/photostream/) You should prune it in winter or early spring, that might solve the problem of it blocking your window.