What tree is this? Location - Santa Ana, CA

[_Keith]

Small tree, what is it?

[Silas_Sancona]

Keith,

Looks like Carrot Wood (Cupaniopsis anacardioides). Can't remember how it behaves out west but is a nasty invasive here. Thinking it ranks up there with the obnoxious Brazilian Pepper everyone here hates. Sticky/stinky "sap" produced by opening fruit sticks to everything it touches. Pittosporum Tobira looks similar and produces similar looking fruit. Very common landscape plant there in CA.

-Nathan

[Zeeth]

Looks like Cupaniopsis anacardioide, known here as Carrotwood. In Florida, they're messy with nasty fruit, very invasive (on par with Brazilian pepper), and very brittle in the wind. People still plant them around here though...

[Zeeth]

Keith,

Looks like Carrot Wood (Cupaniopsis anacardioides). Can't remember how it behaves out west but is a nasty invasive here. Thinking it ranks up there with the obnoxious Brazilian Pepper everyone here hates. Sticky/stinky "sap" produced by opening fruit sticks to everything it touches. Pittosporum Tobira looks similar and produces similar looking fruit. Very common landscape plant there in CA.

-Nathan

Funny, we posted at the same time with nearly identical messages!

[_Keith]

That was funny. I am not even sure if the seeds are ready, but I brought a few seeds home for the fun of it. We have a winter, so not likely to be invasive where I am. More likely it won't even survive.

[BigFrond]

Good tree for the chain saw.

[_Keith]

Actually, it had about a million seeds on it, so I can guess it might be trouble, but it had a beautiful shape and foliage. And there were no seedlings in sight.

[Silas_Sancona]

Lol, that's pretty good, guess great minds think alike

Thinking it is the overall dry conditions there in CA which keep most seedlings from appearing. Im sure if you did enough detective work, you might find escapees in shadier spots which have access to consistent moisture. The Pittosporum I referred to earlier tends to show up under similar conditions. The biggest factor in how Carrot Wood spreads is via Birds, at least here in FL.

-Nathan

[DoomsDave]

Carrotwood!

The Dave's Lying Expletive Tree.

Sold them by the bunch in the mid-80s, said it was deep rooted, wouldn't lift your sidewalk,

haw haw haw

Biggest lie among many

HUGE mass of roots

on the surface

like cancer

Keith, that's a carrotwood, makes great clubs to beat, well, who you might want to beat

really really hard

[Pip]

Oh dear that is an Australian native. I'm not surprised that it is invasive in the southeast of the USA concidering the area where it occurs in the wild. It is used as a street tree in Adelaide it does seem to behave compared to other tree species.

[Gonzer]

Good tree for the chain saw.

Touché.

[Kim]

Some misguided lanscaper planted dozens and dozens of these in downtown San Diego where they litter the sidewalks with bushels of the wicked little roly seed pods, perfectly proportioned for causing turned ankles. Of all the trees in all the world that could be grown in San Diego, somebody had to plant THOSE things.

Alternatively, the jacarandas have gone into overdrive blooming those fabulous periwinkle blue clouds of flowers, what could be more deliriously beautiful? I even like the puddles of fallen blossoms staining the sidewalks. Gorgeous!

[Palms1984]

Like everyone says: it's a horrible tree to plant, especially if it's a female tree near sidewalks. The yellow-orange pulp will stain everything. Also, seedlings will pop up everywhere. I have them constantly popping up in my potted plants.

I believe male trees are the cleanest...as they don't produce seed. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

Edited May 6, 2015 by Palms1984

[fastfeat]

Like everyone says: it's a horrible tree to plant, especially if it's a female tree near sidewalks. The yellow-orange pulp will stain everything. Also, seedlings will pop up everywhere. I have them constantly popping up in my potted plants.

I believe male trees are the cleanest...as they don't produce seed. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

Carrotwood, like most plants in Sapindaceae, are monoecious, with male and female flowers on same tree. So each carrotwood is, theoretically, capable of producing a s^^^load of fruit. But some don't produce as much as others for various reasons --genetic variation, lack of pollen/pollinators, etc. But trees that are stressed, esp in parkways and tree wells where they're often root-pruned, are especially prone to setting large quantities of fruits/seeds.

[Palms1984]

Like everyone says: it's a horrible tree to plant, especially if it's a female tree near sidewalks. The yellow-orange pulp will stain everything. Also, seedlings will pop up everywhere. I have them constantly popping up in my potted plants.

I believe male trees are the cleanest...as they don't produce seed. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

Carrotwood, like most plants in Sapindaceae, are monoecious, with male and female flowers on same tree. So each carrotwood is, theoretically, capable of producing a s^^^load of fruit. But some don't produce as much as others for various reasons --genetic variation, lack of pollen/pollinators, etc. But trees that are stressed, esp in parkways and tree wells where they're often root-pruned, are especially prone to setting large quantities of fruits/seeds.

Thanks for the information! I thought it was a dioecious tree. Well, then it's a tree that should just be planted in parks.

I noticed the Carrotwood trees around San Diego are especially loaded with tons of fruit this year...maybe it's due to this past very hot, dry winter?

[Jerry@TreeZoo]

As someone who has planted out hundreds of these in the past, you guys are making me feel pretty guilty. Of course, Leucaena, Casaurina and Schinus used to be acceptable trees which I also have planted, but we won't talk about those things.

Isn't there some socially acceptable use for much maligned Carrotwood Tree? I understand the wood is good for carving, with a nice color too.

Come on, give me something!

[_Keith]

As someone who has planted out hundreds of these in the past, you guys are making me feel pretty guilty. Of course, Leucaena, Casaurina and Schinus used to be acceptable trees which I also have planted, but we won't talk about those things.

Isn't there some socially acceptable use for much maligned Carrotwood Tree? I understand the wood is good for carving, with a nice color too.

Come on, give me something!

I found it to be a very attractive and interesting tree.