'
'FORT MCNAIR' HYBRID BUCKEYE... |
...SPECTACULAR IN FLOWER |
Sunday, 9:00 AM, 54 degrees F at the ferry dock, the same on the back porch. Wind NW, mostly calm with light gusts. The sky is cloudy and overcast, and it is misting, the humidity 100%. The barometer is rising gently, now at 30.01". The next ten days are forecast to have mixed skies, high temperatures mostly in the 60's, and chances of rain.
A few years back, as City Forester, I planted some rather spectacular flowering trees
that are a hybrid between the southern native red buckeye, Aesculus pavia, and the European horsechestnut, A. hippocastanaeum.
They were called hybrid buckeyes when I purchased them but they are
also currently being called hybrid red horsechestnut. Given the
parentage, I guess either could be correct. They were originally planted on both
sides of Sixth St. (Hwy. 13) entering Bayfield from the south.
The official name of this hybrid as currently sold is Aesculus X carnea 'Fort
McNair.' The X denotes that it is a hybrid. It is important to order
and purchase hybrids by their exact name to be sure it is the right
plant. The Fort McNair bears nuts that are said to be viable, and to
produce an offspring much like the parent plant, which is unusual for a
hybrid of any kind; I have not seen our trees bear nuts. There is
another hybrid, 'Brioti,' which is also quite beautiful but does not
bear fruit. There are one or two on private property in Bayfield.
Hybrid plants must generally be reproduced by making the original cross
and obtaining seeds from that union, or by asexual propagation, which is
one reason they are usually expensive.
We have lost two of the original trees we planted, and current construction threatens several more, but the remaining
trees seem to be doing well, and have made it through successive
very rough winters. We have been unable to replace those lost because young
Fort McNair trees have not done well in northern nurseries the last
several years and have been very scarce. All this makes one wonder
whether it is worth the trouble to grow these trees.
It may not be practical to grow unusual and particularly ornamental trees, but a
special tree such as the Fort McNair is a great signature tree for a
community or a park, or as a spectacular entrance statement. One could
say the same thing about a rare and difficult to find native tree such
as an American Chestnut. In any case, it is interesting to engage in
such efforts as long as they don't become too expensive or time
consuming.
Originally I had envisioned an alle' of Fort McNairs along the
Hwy. 13 entrance to Bayfield, and that may never be achieved in its
entirety, but the trees that have survived the winters and the
snowplowing thus far always are beautiful and unusual in spring and draw
a lot of attention.
My recorded blooming dates for these trees are: 6/09/16; 6/29/15; 5/27/12; 6/26/11. The spring of 2012 they bloomed very early, other recorded years they bloomed in June, so this year they are about right on time.
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