What species of trees are these on Midway Island?

[Walt]

Some years ago I made a posting on the Midway Atoll and gave links to various photos. At the time Google Map hadn't traversed the island, but now it has. As such, I spent a great deal of time combing the island with Google and comparing the island now to old photos as it used to be when the U.S. Navy had a naval air facility there.

As I was looking around I spotted these two trees and wondered what the species were. I'm all but sure these trees were imported to the island, as I read many tropicals were introduced there back 70+ years ago, with about 9,000 tons of good top soil from Hawaii and Guam. I noted many heavily fruiting Cocos nucifera there. And it should be noted that Midway Island is located farther north than Clearwater, Florida, just about as far north as Tarpon Springs, Florida.

The two trees in question can be seen on either side of the medical clinic building in the Google photo below. I also saw another one of these trees in a different location on the island. Any guesses?

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Midway+Island&hl=en&ll=28.212998,-177.373838&spn=0.000019,0.010568&sll=27.470506,-81.521988&sspn=0.190992,0.468979&oq=midway&t=h&hnear=Midway+Island&z=17&layer=c&cbll=28.213039,-177.375884&panoid=69Cpg6yGp7g6-qzMrrVb8Q&cbp=12,135.24,,0,-5.57

[Walt]

I found my other posting of Midway Atoll: http://www.palmtalk.org/forum/index.php?/topic/18760-midway-atoll-28-12-north/?hl=%2Bmidway %2Batoll

[fastfeat]

Terminalia catappa?

[monkeyranch]

To reiterate a theme in Walt's previous topic, uhh, sure seems to be a creepy amount of birds on the island. They're watching from everywhere.

[Jerry@TreeZoo]

I think Terminalia is a very good guess. Probably catalpa but there are other species.

[Eric in Orlando]

They do look like Terminalia catappa.

Also, nice clump of Cycas rumphii in front of the building.

[Walt]

I agree with all who say T. catalpa, but I didn't know they ultimately developed into the shape these trees are. The first time I saw a tropical almond tree I was with Bob Riffle down in the Loxahatchee area going palm hunting in local nurseries. I saw these trees in a person's yard that had tiered branches, and asked Bob what they were. Because I liked them I bought one at one of the nurseries there. I planted it in a protected part of my property and it grew quite well for about a year of so, then inexplicably it just started dying limb by limb. To this day I don't know what killed it.

[fastfeat]

Walt--

Don Hodel sent me these links. I think the first is one of the two trees:

http://www.starrenvironmental.com/images/image/?q=080607-7335&o=plants

http://www.starrenvironmental.com/images/species/?q=terminalia+catappa&o=plants

[fastfeat]

I agree with all who say T. catalpa, but I didn't know they ultimately developed into the shape these trees are. The first time I saw a tropical almond tree I was with Bob Riffle down in the Loxahatchee area going palm hunting in local nurseries. I saw these trees in a person's yard that had tiered branches, and asked Bob what they were. Because I liked them I bought one at one of the nurseries there. I planted it in a protected part of my property and it grew quite well for about a year of so, then inexplicably it just started dying limb by limb. To this day I don't know what killed it.

Terminalia catappa can't take much of any cold. Young branches will start dying back in the 40sF, tho mature trees can take an occasional cold snap as they might get in SoFla. I'd suspect that Lake Placid is probably just a bit too cold, except maybe right on water.

[Walt]

Walt--

Don Hodel sent me these links. I think the first is one of the two trees:

http://www.starrenvironmental.com/images/image/?q=080607-7335&o=plants

http://www.starrenvironmental.com/images/species/?q=terminalia+catappa&o=plants

Yes, Kim Starr cataloged all the species of plants on Midway many years ago as I recall. I think it was well over 200 species, most all non native. I hadn't looked at her photos in about six years. Had I done so recently I would have realized the trees I was looking at were T. catappa.

[Walt]

I agree with all who say T. catalpa, but I didn't know they ultimately developed into the shape these trees are. The first time I saw a tropical almond tree I was with Bob Riffle down in the Loxahatchee area going palm hunting in local nurseries. I saw these trees in a person's yard that had tiered branches, and asked Bob what they were. Because I liked them I bought one at one of the nurseries there. I planted it in a protected part of my property and it grew quite well for about a year of so, then inexplicably it just started dying limb by limb. To this day I don't know what killed it.

Terminalia catappa can't take much of any cold. Young branches will start dying back in the 40sF, tho mature trees can take an occasional cold snap as they might get in SoFla. I'd suspect that Lake Placid is probably just a bit too cold, except maybe right on water.

I don't know for sure just how cold tolerant these trees are (when mature), but no doubt one wouldn't survive long-term at my place. By the lakes they would, at least as long as the Cocos nucifera that are there. I don't think mine died from cold, as it died over a long period of time, with one limb dying at a time. I'm wondering if it was a root problem, either disease or nematodes, etc.

[Jerry@TreeZoo]

Don Hodel not only sent the same species, he actually sent a pic of the exact same tree. Google street view the back of the building. That is it.

[Walt]

The MIdway Island town tree.

In my other post of years ago about Midway, I asked what species of tree the town tree was. I think one responder said they thought it was Ficus benjamina. But clearly, this tree isn't Ficus benjamina, but it does look like it has palm reddish figs on it. See second street view photo below. I guess if I were to Google Kim and Forrest Star's photos of Midway I could find my answer there. I may well do that.

Some years ago I contacted via email (and on YouTube) a husband and wife from Canada that posted a YouTube video of their visit to Midway Island. They said they would be returning to Midway again. So, I asked them if it was possible if they could get me seeds from the town tree (I was just guessing their may be some seed pods or fruits, etc.) I told them I grow all the palms and exotic tropical trees I can, and that I would love to have a decendant from the Midway Island town tree, as I like stories behind my plantings. They told me they would like to oblige me but Canadian importation laws prevented them from bringing plants, seeds, etc., into the country. I had to take them at their word, but I told them this was obviously a tropical tree, and no way could it get a foothold in Canada and get invasively out of control.

So, any guess on the tree I.D.?

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Midway+Island&hl=en&ll=28.212856,-177.371285&spn=0.000019,0.010568&sll=27.470372,-81.456446&sspn=0.190992,0.338173&oq=midw&t=h&hnear=Midway+Island&z=17&layer=c&cbll=28.21286,-177.373333&panoid=zALnJgOz_8kGXsfC7aIPoA&cbp=12,283.54,,0,-2.37

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Midway+Island&hl=en&ll=28.212875,-177.371424&spn=0.000019,0.010568&sll=27.470372,-81.456446&sspn=0.190992,0.338173&oq=midw&t=h&hnear=Midway+Island&z=17&layer=c&cbll=28.212877,-177.373478&panoid=1axDCJmhxbvKxvmRwec1sA&cbp=12,308.5,,0,-2.64

[Walt]

Could this be Ficus alii (long narrow leaves) ? I've been growing one for about 10 or more years now.

[Walt]

I guess I should have my glasses prescription checked. The town tree is in fact a Ficus benjamina. After going back and looking again at the Google street scene, what I thought were long, narrow leaves were in fact not.

I found this photo that I.D.s the town tree:

http://www.starrenvironmental.com/images/image/?q=080531-8928&o=plants

[fastfeat]

Walt-- I think that's Ficus benjamina.

[Missi]

Disregard