Trees - Chinese Parasol Tree
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  (June) My son recently rented a house off University in Little Rock. There are several treelike plants in his yard as well as a couple of neighboring yards and we want to know what they are. The neighbors don't have any idea either. The are approximately 20 to 30 feet tall, with leaves only at the very top. The leaves are 3 pointed. The stalk or trunk is a slick looking green (like bamboo but with no rings on the trunk) and are approximately 2 to 3 inches in diameter. They do not grow in clumps but are single trees/plants, but seedlings seem to be coming up in various locations in his and surrounding yards. These leaves grow out of the top center of the tree only but there are several of them.

  My guess from your description is the Chinese Parasol Tree or Firmiana simplex. This tree has become more common in recent years. The tree has large lobed leaves and with the smooth green bark when young--turning gray with age, it has almost a tropical appearance. It produces yellowish flower clusters, which are on the trees now, which will produce seeds which split open when ripe. If there is one tree in the yard, you will usually have several seedlings sprout nearby.

  I am enclosing a leaf from a tree given to us a couple of years ago by a friend, who thought it might be a Chinese parasol tree. It has been awhile since the tree was purchased. We planted it as a one foot shoot. It grew to be about 15 feet tall in the past couple of years. This is the first year it had any branching. The trunk is now about 2 and one half inches in diameter, and looks like a hollow cane, but the trunk is very solid. There are brown hard spots up and down the trunk where leaves have previously been. We would appreciate any information about this tree.

  The tree in question is a Chinese Parasol tree, Firmiana simplex. It grows quite rapidly when young, and does produce large rich green leaves which give it an almost tropical appearance. It will grow to be 30 to 45 feet in height. The bark on young trees is smooth and green which adds winter interest. In time, it will produce yellowish panicles of blooms in June and July, followed by pea sized fruits which split open soon after flowering. These often sprout. It is native to China and Japan, and was introduced to this country in 1757. It is considered hardy in zones 7 to 9, although I have recently seen numerous young trees in the Jonesboro area--further north than I would have thought it was hardy.

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