# Another Tree/Plant Id Please



## po boy (Jul 12, 2010)

Along a fence row////


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## Fennick (Apr 16, 2013)

It _looks_ like some variety of coffee. 

What is inside the berries, is it a single large seed or multiple small seeds?

When it flowered were the flowers in clusters of white, five petalled star shaped blossoms that smell rather like jasmine?

See images below.

A variety of coffee flowers: https://www.google.ca/search?q=coff....0....0...1ac.1.34.img..16.9.1468.qTN3KEERo18

A variety of coffee leaves and berries: https://www.google.ca/search?q=coff....0....0...1ac.1.34.img..19.6.1422.MDm6693CvA0


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## osbmail (Mar 6, 2014)

I doubt it is coffee if it was grown in Tennesee.Kind of looks like what we call spice bush.


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## Fennick (Apr 16, 2013)

Coffee plants will grow in many places in the northern hemisphere, it grows here in the PNW as an ornamental. Most_ coffea_ varieties can grow pretty much anywhere as house plants or as ornamental garden plants or hedges if they're in the right light and shade and in moderate temperature conditions. It just doesn't produce the right kind of coffee bean product everywhere - that coffee bean is what requires the special growing conditions and locations. But otherwise if the grower isn't growing it for the coffee beans and wants it as an ornamental instead then the coffee plant can tolerate a lot of different growing conditions and locations. They are very beautiful plants.

But yes the OP's pictured branch looks like spice bush as well as a few other plants in the laurel family and it looks like a particular type of holly and it looks like _coffea arabica_. So a picture alone isn't good enough because there are several other plants that look like that. The OP needs to provide other descriptors and describe the growing conditions if he wants to get an ID. 

Po Boy, can you cut one of the berries in half to see if it has one seed, two seeds or multiple seeds in it? 

Scratch the smooth surface of a twig just enough to scrape through the surface of the top bark then smell it. What does it smell like where you scratched it? Does it have a spicy lemony scent or something else?

Bite into a leaf hard enough to bruise it and break through the skin of the leaf, then taste it where you broke through the skin. What does it taste like?

What colour is the underside of the leaf? Is it lighter, darker or the exact same shade as the top of the leaf?

What is the length and width in inches of the mature leaves?

How big are the berries? 

Describe the flowers if you can. The colour, the size, the smell and the shape and number of petals.

How much direct sunlight does the fence row get every day? Is it in full sun or dappled sun/shade or full shade?

Is your property in a mountain region or lowland region? How many hours per day of sunlight does it get in the summer?


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## po boy (Jul 12, 2010)

Fennick said:


> Coffee plants will grow in many places in the northern hemisphere, it grows here in the PNW as an ornamental. Most_ coffea_ varieties can grow pretty much anywhere as house plants or as ornamental garden plants or hedges if they're in the right light and shade and in moderate temperature conditions. It just doesn't produce the right kind of coffee bean product everywhere - that coffee bean is what requires the special growing conditions and locations. But otherwise if the grower isn't growing it for the coffee beans and wants it as an ornamental instead then the coffee plant can tolerate a lot of different growing conditions and locations. They are very beautiful plants.
> 
> But yes the OP's pictured branch looks like spice bush as well as a few other plants in the laurel family and it looks like a particular type of holly and it looks like _coffea arabica_. So a picture alone isn't good enough because there are several other plants that look like that. The OP needs to provide other descriptors and describe the growing conditions if he wants to get an ID.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the info. I've been out and so has my back. It's several hundred feet from the house, so I'll ride up there in a little while.
I'm 40 miles east of Nashville in Wilson County. Hills, but not mountains.


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## po boy (Jul 12, 2010)

The fence row runs east to west and this tree is on the south side, but there are wild cherry trees that tower above the North Side. The exposed south side portion gets full sun most of the day.
There is not a strong type taste or smell from the branch or leaf. Maybe similar to a collard or turnip green taste. The attached photo shows size of leaves, color of both sides and a pencil to give an impression of the size of the fruit. One pit in the fruit.

Broken part of branch is yellow in color.


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## Fennick (Apr 16, 2013)

Excellent pictures showing measurements and visual appearances of everything. 

I think it's a laurel, (osbmail is correct that coffee in a fence row IS unlikely for your location) and several types of laurels are common plants to use as hedges and fence rows.

Watch the berries as they ripen and see if they stay round instead of becoming oval or elongated, and see if they turn bright scarlet or if they turn black as they mature. Watch the leaves to see if changes colour in autum or if it is an evergreen. 

If the berries stay round, become very juicy and turn black then I think that might be sweet bay laurel. Sweet bay laurel is evergreen so if it's sweet bay laurel it will keep its green leaves through winter. 

If the berries stay round and turn bright scarlet and NOT very juicy (more like mealy) and the leaves stay evergreen through winter then it may be some type of Japanese laurel. 

If the berries become brilliant scarlet and elongated and oval shaped it may be spicebush which is also in the laurel family but is not evergreen and the leaves will change color to gold in autum. 

You can check the following link for the several other species of laurel plants to look for other pictures online of their berries and leaves and growing habits for ID. Note that the picture of the leaves depicted in this link is not a good picture of bay laurel and you should do a search to look at other images online to compare with your leaves and berries. 

Next spring be sure to observe and compare the flowers.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurus_nobilis


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## po boy (Jul 12, 2010)

Thanks Fennick

I will watch for the spring blooms


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## Rita (May 13, 2002)

My husband just brought in a branch similar to the first one posted and I have been trying to find out what it is also.

It has dullish berries, reddish and one single seed. I thought it was a possum haw but the description said four small nutlets. Then I thought it was a Sarvis Holly or Serviceberry holly (ilex amelanchier) but it said hairy underleaf and hairy twigs which it doesn't have. Any ideas anyone. I'll try to post a photo but the one posted is very much like ours.


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## Badger (Jun 11, 2010)

Looks to me like it might be Buckthorn.


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