Question: A colleague came across this unidentified tree- about 20' tall, single stem about 1" thick, green to black berries, very …
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Question
A colleague came across this unidentified tree- about 20' tall, single stem about 1" thick, green to black berries, very pungent pine odor to berry, ,compound leaf, opposite branching, 13-14 leafs on each branchlet, note the wavy tips of the leaves, light green underneath, smooth leaf, no hairs
Answer
The tree is Phellodendron amurense (Amur corktree), a member of the Rutaceae. Members of this family are often pungent due to volatile compounds found on the foliage and on/in the fruits. This tree is planted around New England and sometimes escapes cultivation.
