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What is this?
photo by Ed Shannon
Standing in front of the mystery tree on Fairview Drive are, from left, Bill Villarreal, Carley Talamantes, Jayne Villarreal and Skyler Hanson. Carley and Skyler are two of the 13 grandchildren of Bill and Jayne Villarreal.
A mystery tree in Albert Lea
Published Thursday, October 1, 2009
About three years ago Jayne Villarreal was reading a magazine and saw an advertisement for a tree she thought might add a little color to the front of the home she and her husband, Bill, own on Fairview Drive.
“It was supposed to have purple flowers,” she said.
The tree was ordered and after arrival was planted as planned in the front yard.
“It was like a foot-long stick,” she added.
Last year the tree started to grow and attained a height of a yard or so.
Now this tree is at least 10 feet tall with leaves that are huge.
Those leaves are almost like small branches. There are 21 leaves on this tree, and each leaf is about 18 inches long and 20 inches wide. One of the leaves broke off, and this showed that the stems are hollow like one might expect with bamboo.
The mystery factor comes with trying to indicate the actual name for this particular tree.
“I’ve lost the paper work,” Jayne explained.
There’s also the thought that maybe the tree she ordered was replaced with something else. Anyway, the tree in front of the Villarreal residence has obviously adapted to the seasonal weather in this area.
However, this lack of a name hasn’t been overlooked by family members, neighbors, and people who pass by on their daily walks on Fairview Drive.
The tree is known as the “ugly one,” “Thumbelina’s tree,” and either overgrown rhubarb or hibiscus gone wrong. And for others the tree serves as a reminder of an old story about Jack and the Beanstalk.
“The tree is supposed to grow to 25 feet, and I’m still looking forward to seeing the purple flowers,” Jayne said.
Anyone who can identify this particular tree can help solve the mystery by calling 373-6627.
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Comments
Posted by robinone (Robin Arnold) on October 1, 2009 at 9:46 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Jack and the Beanstalk. Love it!
Posted by sowhatnow (anonymous) on October 1, 2009 at 10:02 a.m. (Suggest removal)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paulownia_t...
Posted by controlledhyperness (anonymous) on October 1, 2009 at 10:57 a.m. (Suggest removal)
My first thought was Banana tree...or at least a tropical tree of some nature. The article posted by sowhatnow looks similar, but not really to the tree above. Just a guess..
Posted by mar (anonymous) on October 1, 2009 at 10:58 a.m. (Suggest removal)
cool sowhatnow, did you know that, or did you do a search and guessing? If that is the tree, when it matures it will no longer be the ugly one:)
Posted by sowhatnow (anonymous) on October 1, 2009 at 12:42 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Actually, my neighbor has the same tree planted. He's had it for a number of years now. It's bigger that the one posted in this article.
Posted by Me2 (anonymous) on October 1, 2009 at 12:57 p.m. (Suggest removal)
OK, so what is it?
Posted by sowhatnow (anonymous) on October 1, 2009 at 1 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Me2 - scroll up to my previous post and click on the link.
Posted by larchmn (anonymous) on October 1, 2009 at 2:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)
If it doesn't flower violet, it would be a Catalpa speciosa (white trumpet-shaped flower). The best way to tell would be to look at the buds; if it has small olive-sized ones that last through the winter, it would be the above mentioned (since it has not flowered yet). Both trees are very similar in habitat and growth; completely different seed pods.
Posted by larchmn (anonymous) on October 1, 2009 at 4:47 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I am completely wrong. The Paulownia has opposite leaves while the Catalpa are whirled. sowhatnow was correct.
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