# Can you ID this BIG plant?



## Nancy_in_GA (Oct 20, 2004)

Hi, I'm new to the Plant ID section (been lurking, and on the Goats section). Hope it's OK to jump in here.

Can someone please help identify this plant. It is about 8 feet tall, but I don't think it will be a tree. I think it has a hollow stem (but I could be wrong about that).

Top of plant:

http://home.earthlink.net/~nlyons545/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/id1.jpg

Close up of one leaf (about 12-15 inches across):

http://home.earthlink.net/~nlyons545/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/id2.jpg

Nancy


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## BrahmaMama (Nov 12, 2005)

I have no idea, but that is one of the coolest things I've ever seen!!!!

It makes me think of the "green food" leaf that Littlefoot carried around with him in the dinosaur movie.


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

I don't know what it could be, but it sure looks neat.

and welcome to the forum, jump in any time.

I'm sure some of our more knowledgable people will be by fairly soon.

Angie


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## caballoviejo (Sep 6, 2004)

Is that the super fast growing tree you see adverstised?


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## alabamared (May 23, 2005)

cottonwood?


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## Paula (Jun 3, 2002)

Maybe a castor bean plant?


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## Paula (Jun 3, 2002)

Never mind, I googled it and it's not castor bean.
Dh says it's a Catalpa (sp?)


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## Christine in OK (May 10, 2002)

But a Catalpa is a tree - we call them bean trees, and the beans are poisonous. I would have voted for Castor bean - I'll have to go google it too. It sure looks like what my husband's step-grandma had growing a couple of years ago and she said it was a Castor Bean.


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## marvella (Oct 12, 2003)

http://www.floridata.com/wallpaper/jpg/Catalpa_bignonioides_flwr800.jpg

are you sure it's not catalpa? i've seen it around here a lot, but darned if i can find the name...

it's not castor bean i'm pretty sure.


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## Dahc (Feb 14, 2006)

I've seen it somewhere but can't remember where. It's not catalpa and I think it gets bigger than that.


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## Red Devil TN (Feb 8, 2006)

Aren't catalpa leaves smooth edged with one point. And smaller? And cottonwoods are toothed along the entire edge right?

That second pic is a good pic of the leaf and size. Almost looks like a paulownia (foxglove tree). The article here http://www.crocus.co.uk/gossip/monsterplants/? (second pic down) has the tomentosa listed and the pic is close... close, but I don't think that's it either.


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## moonwolf (Sep 20, 2004)

Is it an Elephant Ear Plant?

http://www.emilycompost.com/elephant_ear.htm


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## insocal (May 15, 2005)

It's definitely NOT a castor bean plant. We have lots of them here in So Cal - very nasty, undesirable, invasive nonnative species. So I know them, and this is not one.


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## Bear (Jan 25, 2005)

Looks like Ironwood.


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## kitaye (Sep 19, 2005)

Reminds me of the cockleburr plants I had to help spot when I worked on Papaw's cotton farm. Never seen one that big though.


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## Randy Rooster (Dec 14, 2004)

I have seen them before- but it was up in the mountains. Are you located in the mountains of Ga?

Definately not castor or elephants ear.


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## Nancy_in_GA (Oct 20, 2004)

We're not in the mountains, but pretty far north. Saw one by the roadside while driving, so it can survive in sunny dry, as well as partially shaded.

The leaves have 5 large veins coming directly from the stem. That's what looks different from the other plants you all have posted.

Maybe it is a tree. Some trees here (like poplar and hickory) have extremely large leaves when they are seedlings, but look completely different when they get big.


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## tillandsia (Feb 2, 2006)

I agree with Red Devil TN. Try googling Paulownia.


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## Dahc (Feb 14, 2006)

tillandsia said:


> I agree with Red Devil TN. Try googling Paulownia.


I think you two could be right. Paulownia tomentosa has a leaf like this:


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## Nancy_in_GA (Oct 20, 2004)

That's it!!! 

Been Googling, and the Chinese used it to prevent gray hair and cure warts.  This is just what I need.

Thank you,
Nancy


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## mamastars (Feb 28, 2006)

We had never seen a tree like thatl a few years ago one came up on it's own. It grew very fast for a tree. An old timer called it a Whistle Tree, don't have a clue why. We finally cut it down because it was just making too much shade for my other plants. It was 30+ ft. high the first year! The main stalk had a soft center and when it dried out it was hollow. We burnt some in the fireplace, it burnt hot and very quickly.


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## blue gecko (Jun 14, 2006)

Most likely its called a whistle tree because the hollowed twigs can be made into whistles. 
I have some of these growing on my land and have been curious about them. Thanks for the post. B


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## tillandsia (Feb 2, 2006)

> An old timer called it a Whistle Tree, don't have a clue why.





> The main stalk had a soft center and when it dried out it was hollow.


Whistles are hollow inside.


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## fordson major (Jul 12, 2003)

i agree with kitaye, cockleburr. if it gets small flowers like a sun flower ,nuke the plant with what ever it takes, then burn the remainder!! saw a farm infested after they had seen a couple of plants the year before ,took lots of herbicide to clean the field :grump:


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## Wildcrofthollow (Apr 20, 2005)

I would bet heavily on Paulownia. The leaves are VERY large on the small plants, as the tree gets established they become smaller. The wood has some value, even though it is very light and not strong at all, it is used for carving quite a bit. The japanese make "hope" chests for their daughters using the wood from it. The flowers are large and showy and smell good OUTSIDE. If you bring them inside they will perfume the whole house and the sweet scent is cloying in a confined space. (this from unfortunate personal experience)


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## tillandsia (Feb 2, 2006)

The plant in Nancy's picture has opposite leaves. Cocklebur has alternate leaves, so it can't be cocklebur.
http://www.uwyo.edu/CES/WYOWEED/NewWYOweedSite/Descriptions/Cocklebur.htm


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## Red Devil TN (Feb 8, 2006)

Wildcrofthollow said:


> I would bet heavily on Paulownia. The leaves are VERY large on the small plants, as the tree gets established they become smaller. ...


Ah... that's why they are bigger in Nancy's pic. I had reservations because those leaves in the second of her pics are just huge.


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## chris30523 (Jun 11, 2005)

Wildcrofthollow said:


> I would bet heavily on Paulownia. The leaves are VERY large on the small plants, as the tree gets established they become smaller. The wood has some value, even though it is very light and not strong at all, it is used for carving quite a bit. The japanese make "hope" chests for their daughters using the wood from it. The flowers are large and showy and smell good OUTSIDE. If you bring them inside they will perfume the whole house and the sweet scent is cloying in a confined space. (this from unfortunate personal experience)


I agree we have these all over the place.The flowers are purple and smell really sweet.They grow big fast.They are a messy tree..Break easily in bad weather.have seed pods and twigs that are all over the place and reseed readily.Princess tree is what we always called it but it is Paulownia.


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## harrisjnet (Jul 13, 2006)

What you have is a Catalpa tree. I have one in my yard. They grow extremely fast if they have plenty of water. I planted mine around five years ago and it is now close to 30 ft. Tall. They have beautiful white flowers in spring. Long seed beans develope through the summer. I also have cockelbur and have raised castor beans. Cockleburs have dark veins and fuzzy feeling leaves. Castorbeans have ridges that stand out on the leaf like Okra. Your picture is of neither. Your leaf is not serrerated like the other tree leaf posted. I will try to get pictures of Catalpa and cockelburs posted tomorrow.


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## harrisjnet (Jul 13, 2006)

I am no longer positive it is a catalpa, but deffinatly not cocklburr. I was unable to post the pictures here. If you want a picture of cocklburr, PM me with an address to email them to.


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