# Identify this tree, please

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-tree-please/499970>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 16, 2009, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-tree-please/499970 "2009-06-16T18:10:49Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\
**Post date:** [June 16, 2009, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-tree-please/499970/1 "2009-06-16T18:10:49Z")

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It has two quite different-looking leaves, intermixed on the same branches, often right next to each other. One type is dark green, shaped roughly like the spades in a card deck. The tips are very pointy. The other type is very light green, about the same length as the first type, but narrower and oblong (horse racetrack shape). On one tree the former were ~2" long and 1 1/2" wide, the latter 2" long and 1/2" wide.

There are also clusters of buds, a dozen or so together. They are whitish, between the size of a BB and a pea, many with a tiny brown spike sticking out.

I saw these in Kansas City and wonder what kind of tree it is.

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**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\
**Post date:** [June 16, 2009, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-tree-please/499970/2 "2009-06-16T18:45:03Z")

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It may have been a Mulberry variety. They have different shaped leaves and kind of spikey buds/berries

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**Author:** ![picker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/picker/32/13969_2.png) [@picker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picker)\
**Post date:** [June 16, 2009, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-tree-please/499970/3 "2009-06-16T18:58:14Z")

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Mulberry would be my guess as well.

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**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\
**Post date:** [June 16, 2009, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-tree-please/499970/4 "2009-06-16T19:08:40Z")

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[Basswood](http://texastreeplanting.tamu.edu/Display_Onetree.aspx?tid=97)

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**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\
**Post date:** [June 16, 2009, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-tree-please/499970/5 "2009-06-16T20:21:49Z")

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And now…

Number 1…

…the Larch.

The Larch.

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**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\
**Post date:** [June 16, 2009, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-tree-please/499970/6 "2009-06-16T20:53:20Z")

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It appears basswood is correct. The image linked by **Harmonious Discord** , as well as [this image](http://www.dkimages.com/discover/previews/962/65011249.JPG) I found on Google, are consistent with what I remember seeing.

While there is some similarity with some mulberry leaf images I found, the buds/berries were different and I didn’t see any of the second type of leaf (narrow, light green). I didn’t see any similarity with the larch.

ETA: Thank you for your responses.