Lesley Im sorry for not getting back to you sooner on this one!
Ive still got the piece of tree and seed pod that you gave me when we met in CVO!
Well..I took it almost every where with me out there and showed many locals..ex-pats but mostly Portuguese. It 'fogged' most of them and no one offered a name.
Then,on the day before I came home I went into Lagoa and met up with a couple of Brit ladies and that Ameican film director 'Joan Lemmo'. None of these ladies knew what it was and believe Joan thought I was some 'Barmy Brit' carting a bit of tree around with me
However,when the Portuguese lady brought our drinks I showed her.She touched it.sniffed it..looked at the square acorn-like seed cup..and said
"eucalipto"
I said I didnt think so and so did others. BUT!
Ive just got around to searching my books & web and I now think shes right! But which one?
according to the size you mentioned ..smaller ones...
could be: Euc. ficifolia .a good red flower..Euc. torquata..coral red flower...Euc. caesia ..this has pinky rosy flowers..
but...
you said the one youve seen has ..rusty red flowers...so not sure whether we've got there yet!!
The seed pod is like those of Euc. urnigera or obliqua...or virninalis!
will we ever know I ask myself l
Hope weather is better for you now in West country(specially for MMs sake )..had rather a nice,warm day here in Lincs so been out & made most of it! ellie

Ellie, you are a dream, that is great, thank you so much for all your hard work and research on my tree, well eucaliptus, I would not have thought that, all the ones I have seen are tall and spindly a bit like silver birch, but this is getting interesting now. You are so kind to have done all this for me, I am really grateful. When I go out again in Dec I will go and look at it again and see if I can hopefully talk to the people who own said tree, and get some more info. I will keep you informed.
Weather a bit iffy at the mo, one day dry the next wet and miserable, at least now the clocks have gone back getting up at 6.45 it is lighter now.
MM did his last event for the season last Friday, very diffidcult X country course so we took it really steady, no point in getting an injury or worse, he came 17th out of 42 so we were very pleased, especially as some of the other competitors were internation standard.
Keep well and keep in touch.

Hi Lesley! and first of all well done to MM..bet youre proud of him and justly so
You know..this tree has me really intrigued
Like you.. Im not at all sure its a Euca.I could not smell anything on the leaves..but my Port.friend seemed to..
also the flower colour of 'your tree' doesnt match up does it?
When you asked me about it some weeks back I thought then,it may be the 'Erythrina crista-galli..shrub that forms a small tree.
Ive been 'peering' at a pic of one with my magnifying glass (the 'mince pies' arent as sharp as they used to be ) and the leaves look very similar and it has spectacular flowers which seem to grow out of a cup shape base..
it can grow to 13ft or more& 13 ft wide and gets smothered in blooms.
Its South American Spiny tree...Coral tree.. and also 'cry baby' tree!
But none of my deductions may be 'it'! So please let me know what you find out Lesley?
Will we become the 'Holmes & Watson' of CVO trees..prowling around interrogating locals on the contents of their gardens d'you think?

Hi Ellie, I cant thank you enough for all the hard work you are putting into looking for the name of this tree, and I was a little unsure if it was a Euca, as you said had no smell from the leaves or the tree when I picked the (small) piece. I have been looking in books and on the internet but still haven't found it yet, will let you know what happens when I go out in December. By the way, just incase someone says this should be in Chit, Chat this tree is on the outskirts of cvo and I have been trying to find out what it is, Ellie has kindly been helping.
Yep, MM did very well this year very proud, he went showjumping this weekend and came third !! Take care

Hi Lesley,

I know someone who lives in CVO who is very knowledgeable about tress and stuff. He showed me loads of books he had on the subject.

Maybe if when I meet up with Ellie she can show me the tree and I'll take it over to him for his advice.

Thanks thunderbolt, that would be great, I am trying to plan the trees I would like in our front garden and this one I have seen is really beautiful, a lovely rusty red flower which nearly covers the tree when it is flowering. I will be out in Dec and will see if I can find the owners and ask
what kind of tree it is.

No probs.
I was just reading your posts and remembered an afternoon I spent with this person looking at his numerous books on trees.

I'm sure that between the three of us we'll manage to find out what it is.