Category: Samaras

Early Spring

It’s early spring and I’m on my way to yoga as the sun shines through the still black and gray woods of the Blue Ridge Mountain foothills. The grass has greened up just a bit. Most of the trees that I’m seeing are not putting out much energy to create their new leaves yet. Even the Red Maple (Acer rubrum) which are showing up here as shades of red, are just at the very beginning of that adventure. They have bloomed and those blossoms have created samaras which are what shows up in this image. Soon though the green will arrive in crazy abundance.

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Maples in Bloom

Early March, meteorological spring and things are just beginning to stir. Flowers? Not many, certainly not many of the native sort but a few.

The Maples (Acer) in the lower elevations are acknowledging that spring is here.

Maple blooms are something that you’ve got to be aware of, or something that you’ve got to look for. They don’t demand attention.

They’re subtle. But wait, there’s more to come.

Once the little noticed flowers are finished, along comes the magical things we used to play with when we were children, the helicopters.

Throw them in the air and see what happens. That action, such fun, spinning as they drop, in order to fall far from the parent tree. These helicopters are technically termed samaras.

And which of these photos is different from all the rest? All the images with the exception of this last one are of Red Maples (Acer rubrum), native to eastern and central North America. The picture immediately above is of samaras of a Silver Maple (Acer saccharinum). Silver Maples are native to the eastern and central US and southeastern Canada.

And the show is just beginning. Soon comes many beautiful shades of green, then OH MY, so many warm gorgeous colors of autumn.

Patiently Waiting for the Snow

Trying to remain calm. I’ve flushed my ice cubes as is my tradition. Wonder if little granddaughter has done the same. Quite likely, we often think alike. Now to distract myself. Focus on months from now when snow is certainly not to be expected. Late April when Red Maple (Acer rubrum) trees are leafing out. Flowers are gone, turned to samaras. Winged seeds getting ready to delight children and playful adults who know to look for such diversion. Can’t get the images out of my imagination though. Just a couple days away. Sunday afternoon. SNOW!

Tulip Poplar

The first tree I remember getting to know. Growing right next to our patio. As a little one I’d listen for its “heartbeat” and give it “injections” though now I’m sure it was totally healthy. Back then I had the title of “Tree Doctor” and would take care of it. A Tulip Poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera).

Here, my Mom on our patio and that tree, my “patient”, in this image slightly left and behind her.

One of many common names, Tulip Poplar, is confusing since the tree is not closely related to true poplar trees or to tulips.

Another name from long ago comes from Native Americans using the wood for dugout canoes. It was called Canoewood by early settlers west of the Appalachian Mountains.

The bark of the Tulip Poplar as a young tree has a smooth appearance.

As the tree ages, the bark becomes beautiful with deeply interlaced furrows. The tree can grow as much as three feet per year but as it ages that growth rate slows. Under near optimum conditions a Tulip Poplar can live to be three hundred years old and reach a height of 200 feet.

The “tulip” in the common name Tulip Poplar comes from the look of the flowers of the tree. Since the trees are so tall, often the blooms aren’t even visible.

After the bloom comes the fruit which is a cone-shaped arrangement of winged seeds called samaras.

And of course if one were to be in a parade the leaves would make a perfect banner to carry.