Patricia of Plant Lust pulled some strings to set up a personal tour of Treephoria, a place that erases the “boring” from Boring, OR. That’s Patricia, with her hand up as if to say “here I am”.
Laura of Gravy Lessons and her pirate, Charlie, met us there.
Here’s our host and tour guide, Neil Buley. He was a fount of information.
They had several specimens of one of my favorite trees, Oxydendrum arboretum, or Sourwood. I wrote about the s l o w growth of mine here.
Last year, the poor thing died. That’s the dead trunk (the grey stick). New growth shot up from the roots and soon surpassed the height of the original tree that had struggled for years.
It’s most recent affliction is compliments of the deer, who have nibbled off most of the foliage.
So for a close-up of this splendid tree, we’ll go back to Treephoria. The leaves turn progressively redder and it blooms at the same time, making for quite a show.
Next up: Cercidiphyllum japonicum, or Katsura. I wrote about ours here. We love our Katsura, but the fall color, so far, pales in comparison to the mature specimen above.
Just look at the range of color in those leaves.
I couldn’t seem to stop snapping photos, especially when I saw it with a monkey-puzzle tree in the foreground for contrast.
OK, so that’s it for my favorites, but let’s wander around Treephoria a bit more. Cornus mas the Cornelian Cherry Dogwood was adorned with bright red, shiny fruits.
I’m kicking myself for neglecting to carry a notebook to jot down the names of things like these wavy leaves on colorful stems. Will I never learn?
Maples were spangled with their little wingy things.
Each one prettier than the last.
Here’s something for anyone who, like me, has been smitten with Franklinia but to no avail. Gordlinia Grandiflora is a cross between Gordonia and Franklinia, making it much hardier while retaining those wonderful flowers. I’m game to try this one.
There were some peculiarities too, like this thorny tree trunk. It of course calls to mind Danger Garden, whose earlier post of this place will show you more photos of this spiky wonder and an in-depth tour at a different time of year. Loree is also our host for the favorites meme. Be sure to check in this time, as the format will be changing a bit.
Speaking of hosts, a big Thank You goes out to Neil and Treephoria for hospitality and then some. If you are hankering for a tree and you don’t want to wait for a little bitty thing to gain some stature and presence, this is the place. They will dig, deliver and plant for you, so you know it’s done right.
So bummed that I missed this adventure! Katsura has got to be one of my favorite trees. The first time I saw one was in fall, and I remember being in complete, total disbelief that anything could be that beautiful.
Anna~R did a lot of looking before settling on a Katsura to shade his studio.
I was so jealous of all you lot down there in Portland who went on this Treephoria outing. I was tempted to drive down for it, but had to pass. Maybe there’ll be another one next year.
Alison~It could easily be an annual event.
THANK YOU! I was so bummed to miss this tour, Treephoria is such a magical place.
Your poor Sourwood!
Loree~We missed you too. The Sourwood is a memorial tree for our first cat, so we will not give up on it. A little judicious pruning and a fence, coming up.
Looks like a fun tour. I’ve heard people speak enthusiastically about Katsura, but I don’t have one.
Jason~It was pointed out to me that the one with all the color is probably the Red Fox Katsura. I think I’m going to have to get one of those.
Nice job Rickii. I didn’t take notes either. What was I thinking? I’m glad you got all these great shots. Pretty sure we could cook up another visit–spring and/or fall. I love going to Treephoria.
Tricia~I’m hearing lots of grumbling from those who missed out. I bet it’s equally stunning in spring. Let’s do it.
Looks like a great place to visit. How nice that you have a fun group of bloggers to visit places togehter–we need to work on building up a group like that here in my area. I agree with you that the view of the Monkey Puzzle Tree with the Katsura in the background is fabulous!
Beth~Our local bloggers have become a closely-knit group. It adds another level of enjoyment to our magnificent obsession. You won’t be sorry if you get the ball rolling.
I’m in love with my newly planted Katsura ! So much nicer than the big Maple.
Looks like I missed a good outing !
Linda~It was a blustery day and only a few of us made it. I think a return trip is in the cards, so don’t miss it next time.
Looks a fun visit; what can be better than visiting trees with autumn colour. There are so many trees in the States that I know nothing about.
Christina~It felt like the perfect time to visit. I’m sure spring would be lovely as well. I’m getting a little better at tree ID, but there’s a long way to go.
Absolutely. When it gets closer–we’ll set something up again.
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