When we were doing our Home Depot Discovery Crawl yesterday, we found ourselves driving past LongHill in Beverly, the Trustees of Reservations estate w/ rare trees and gardens. I remembered that some 25 years ago, we saw our first Umbrella Pine there- that was some 20' huge. So we turned in the drive but could not find it. But then......... but THEN I yelled "Stop!!" and we found ourselves looking ga-ga at a ~ 20'H Kalopanax picta (Castor Aralia z.4). Beautiful green Liquidambar-like leaves, but it is the BERRIES that are the show stoppers. You know those gigantic allium that, after they've gone by, leave a globe of green stiff bristled seed heads? Well, that's what these ' berry umbrels' were like. Long bold white stems with black berries (seed heads) in big tassles. I will post photos when i can.
As you enter the Long Hill drive, continue through the orchard, and this tree will be on your left , covered with those white stemmed black berry umbrels. Fantastic!!
mindy

This post was edited by arbo_retum on Thu, Oct 16, 14 at 0:34