Will's Tree Challenge: Question #5

[Anonymous User]

Since it is the Halloween season, I thought this challenge was fitting.....


(For those of you reading this for the first time, don't scroll down and read the answers given, instead reply first and see if you were correct, before confirming it.)


Question #5

Which species of tree, native to North America, did the indigenous peoples think harbored evil spirits, causing infertility in women and animals?

Hints:

The French Canadian lumberjacks believed that a woman must keep at least 10 feet away from this tree, lest they become sterile.

Early settlers considered this tree unlucky and it was so highly feared that no one would cut one down.

Yet, the Ojibwe tribe used every part of this tree.



Good luck

Will



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Other Tree Challenges:

Question #1
Question #2
Question #3
Question #4
Question #5
Question #6
Question #7
Question#8
.

 

[Behr]

I must say I have been enjoying these 'challenges' due to much knowledge and lore being brought to light even if the answer is not the intended one...

I would think the tree described here is the pinus banksiana or Jack Pine...If memory serves correct the tree in some cultures could not be cut down, but must be burned...Which in fact only helped with the distribution of the tree due to the cones needing fire to release the seeds...

The Hawthorn is also considered to be an 'unlucky tree' in many European cultures with the same characteristics, but with the clue of the 'Ojibwe tribe' my guess would be the jack pine...

Regards
Behr

 

[Rick Moquin]

Great birth control method

 

[Anonymous User]

Taproots that grow to a depth of 10 feet or more, roots that can be from 40 to 60 feet long, seeds that are stored for several years in the cone, only becoming ready to sprout after 5 to 10 years, and only able to be released by the heat of fire, the Jack Pine (Pinus Banksaina) is one tough tree.

Inspiring generations of poets and painters with its lonely majesty and often windswept form, the Jack Pine lives a tough life, often living in places where not much else will grow, hence the myth that it was such an evil tree that nothing else would grow near it. Living for over 200 years, reaching heights of 70 feet and dependant on fire for reproduction, the Jack Pine is a wonderful tree that the Native Americans and wildlife knew well.

Caribou feed on the lichen that grows on the tree, moose, caribou, snowshoe hares, and deer feed on the branches, rodents and birds eat the seeds. Native Americans used the bark for tea, the roots for sewing, the pitch for medicine and sealant, and the male cones have long been eaten boiled, roasted, fried, or pickled.

The Kirkland Warbler, an endangered species, breeds only in homogenous stands of Jack Pines that are 20 to 40 years old in Michigan’s lower peninsula. In my stomping grounds, it is not unusual to see hundreds of acres clear-cut, burned, and reseeded with Jack Pines for the warbler.

One of the toughest trees in the woods, the Jack Pine was feared by many, and loved by others, an oddity that is still prevalent today.




References:
Ethnobotany of the Ojibwe – Huron Smith
Native American Ethobotany – Daniel Moerman
Botanica – North America – Marjorie Harris

 

[Anonymous User]

Right on the money, Behr!

 

[Jeffro]

Haven't a clue. But eating Taxus would definitely promote birth control.

 

[Anonymous User]

Some more info on the Jack Pine.

 

[candyjshirey]

One of the toughest trees in the woods, the Jack Pine was feared by many, and loved by others, an oddity that is still prevalent today.

I am fearing and loving this species.

It is also odd that it is not so tough when it comes to repotting. (I am stressing over the repot of an exquisite collected jack pine this week. If I repot and it dies, the reason will be because I repotted. If I don't repot and it dies, it will be because I did not repot.) My experience with this tree is that they are finicky when it comes to disturbing the roots.

I have lost two collected jack pines in the last two years. One was repotted and the other was not but probably should have been repotted.

Who is having positive experiences with this species and what are they doing to create a smooth repotting transition?

-Candy

 

[Anonymous User]

Hi Candy,

Yiou might find The Jack Pine Project of some interest.

The picture of the Jack Pine bonsai that is in the link in my last post was created by Jerry Vlcek, he has more Jack Pine bonsai than anyone else that I know of and has had great success with them. And interview can be seen here.

I have emailed you his email address, he takes awhile to respond, but is always happy to answer questions.



Will