Collecting advice for a Minnesotan

[Boscology]

I have been looking in the wilderness area I have access to and theres still snow on the ground up north where I plan to collect a few larches and more hornbeams but I am having trouble finding and identifying things around here that I may be overlooking.

Anyone have any suggestions of trees to try?

( kinda tough to identify now with just buds and bark to base it on and I lost track of records from last year so I have to do ident the hard way )

 

[sorce]

Like Mike says.....

When you can get a shovel on the ground,
Start digging!

Just bloody be sure to collect a good nebari, and trunk if applicable, but for the love of God, don't collect something that will suck forever.

I think it's a bonus you can't ID em.
Just ID the good bases, and dig them!

Sorce

 

[Boscology]

yea I like it, Sorce coming is dropping some wisdom. (also was woried about making sure I dont bring certain things home, Box elders and their bugs are rampant in the neighborhood.

 

[mattspinniken]

Yep, look for Larch. Don't look in the deep shady woods but the outside edges and roadways. The good trees with low branches and lots of buds have lived in plenty of sunlight. Look for tough enviroments that produce interesting trees. Road ditches are sometimes good. Most larch are telephone pole straight with no low branches but if you look hard enough you can find some great ones. Interesting White Cedar is another one I like to look for.

 

[crust]

You need to be able to id bare for deciduous. Feral horticultural varieties of most nursery originated ornamental trees/shrubs are good (prunus,malus,euonymus,etc) There is native elms(amer., red, slippery), if substantive;(skip Siberian if you want to preserve your heart), Hackberry, hornbeam and possibly ironwood. I would avoid willows and birch and maples and only go for honeysuckle if they are exquisite. IMO collecting small unremarkable deciduous trees in MN just as bonzo stock is a waste of time(with exception of small larch)--better off buying into better species for sticks-- however larger interesting stump-dogs, smashos, or twistiods dwarfed by damage or otherwise is always good.

 

[sorce]

stump-dogs, smashos, or twistiods

There is your real wisdom!

Sorce

 

[fourteener]

Find the junction of a railroad track and a snowmobile trail for trees brutalized by the elements!

 

[sorce]

Find the junction of a railroad track and a snowmobile trail for trees brutalized by the elements!

Hell yeah!


I watched a show on the snowmobile trails in Wisconsin.
They actually have volunteers to clear em.

Um....f yeah!

I think I shat myself watching the show.

Sorce

 

[M. Frary]

Hell yeah!


I watched a show on the snowmobile trails in Wisconsin.
They actually have volunteers to clear em.

Um....f yeah!

I think I shat myself watching the show.

Sorce

I groomed trails here when I had a seasonal job. We have over 100 miles of groomed trails in our county.
It's one of the places I check.