What Kind of Tree or Shrub Did this Leaf Come From?
Found in Hillsborough, North Carolina, on August 1, 2009. The squares on my sheet vinyl floor are 6" — handy for this illustration.
"That's a walnut", a friend said. Maybe it is a walnut, a black walnut. But if it is I've never seen a black walnut leaf like it before. This is bigger, with bigger leaflets, than I am used to seeing on black walnuts.
(a closer look at one leaflet)
This was four or five feet above the ground, in dense undergrowth in a hedge near the sidewalk on East Tryon St. I believe it was growing on a small, or young tree, not more than 10'–15' high, although I did not seek out a good look at the tree upon which it was growing. It was surrounded in the greenery by many ailanthus leaves, which might look the same to the unsuspicious eye. But this is no ailanthus. And if it is a black walnut leaf, then it is a learning experience for me.
