Re: Laurus nobilis, was Tall, thin screen

K1MIZE@aol.com wrote:
> 
> In a message dated 5/8/100 10:05:34 PM EST, jonivy@earthlink.net writes:
> 
> << This is the first I have ever heard of Laurus nobilis suckering. >>
> 
> There are a number 50 year old Laurus nobilis around the edges of a square in
> central Stockton, and they are large trees--perhaps 35 feet tall and about
> the same across.  I don't know when they started suckering, but the parks
> department has to frequently trim the suckers from around the base of the
> trees.  About like an olive tree in that regard.  Although Sweet Bay can be
> kept to any size by pruning, it would be labor intensive.  A neighbor's 15
> year old tree is around 20 feet tall and 15 feet across.  The birds love the
> berries, and I have found at least 20 seedlings in my flower beds.  I've
> potted some of them up and given them away as gifts.  Others I have just left
> in place in order to have a handy supply of leaves for soups, stews, roasts,
> etc.  When they get too large for the flower beds, I just dig them up and
> toss them--being sure to strip them of their leaves, first!

I am glad to find someone else has met a suckering form of this tree. It
would seem, wouldn't it, some clones are more prone to this bad habit
then others? As far as I know all trees in our area sucker, which
probably means they are all from one clone. It seems more than likely
that it has spread widely by people giving suckers to their friends
rather than seedlings. 

Which makes the point one should be wary of ever growing a tree from a
sucker, as it will certainly reproduce the bad habit. I had an example
of this once when I got a sucker of a damson tree from a friend. Within
about four years  all the ground over a large part of my adjacent veg
garden was producing little trees. We then removed it and replaced it
with a grafted nursery-raised plant - result bliss - no more extra trees
at all ever since.

Moira
-- 
Tony & Moira Ryan <theryans@xtra.co.nz>
Wainuiomata, New Zealand. (on the "Ring of Fire" in the SW Pacific).
Lat. 41:16S Long. 174:58E. Climate: Mediterranean/Temperate
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