AboutRobin Expertise I can answer questions relating to the identification, growing and ethnobotany of native plants in the Midwest and East Coast of the United States, particularly the Great Lakes Region.
I am not so good with grasses and I cannot answer questions related to the West Coast or the deep South.
Experience I maintain a half acre woodland garden in Michigan. I have attended many native gardening workshops and I studied field botany in college. I have taken groups on native plant walks.
Organizations Michigan Native Gardeners
Wild Ones
Education/Credentials I have a Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology with a Biology minor.
Expert: Robin Date: 6/20/2008 Subject: tree identification
Question Hi,
i have a tree that I keep cutting down but it keeps growing back. It has these HUGE deciduous leaves that look like a maple but they are like 12 inches big. I live in MA. The leaves aren't "fuzzy". The viens are very prominant on the underside - lighter than the leaf. The size of the leaf however I think is the key. i would love any help you could give me.
Thanks,
Rebekah
Answer I remember those trees. They were everywhere when I lived in New York. Unfortunately I never bothered to find out what they were when I was there. So, I broke out my books and did a little research, but I haven't had alot of luck. It might be a bigleaf maple (and that would just be too simple, wouldn't it) but they are native to the Pacific Northwest. It may also be some variety of a Norway Maple. Do you know what the spring flowers and fruits look like? With that info I will have better luck, I think.
At any rate, if you're looking to get rid of it I sympathize. One thing that I have used on my buckthorn that seems to be working alright is the Roundup herbicide specifically for poison ivy. I originally got it because I am so allergic to poison ivy (normally I am adamantly anti chemical) but after reading all the warnings about not getting it on any other plants lest you kill them too, and walking around seeing all the buckthorn I chopped down last year sprouting up again, I decided to give them a drenching too and they look pretty dead to me now.
