The Redbuds of Spring

 

The redbud tree (Cercis canadensis) is a stunning harbinger of spring, known for its vibrant pink to magenta blossoms that emerge before the foliage. Native to North America, it thrives in various landscapes, from forests to urban gardens. Its heart-shaped leaves turn a golden yellow in autumn, adding seasonal charm. Besides its ornamental beauty, the redbud plays a vital role in ecosystems, providing nectar for pollinators. With its resilience and aesthetic appeal, it's a beloved choice among gardeners and nature enthusiasts alike.

The woods are full of them here.

Osage Orange Tree

This is an Osage orange tree (we sometimes call it a mock orange, but that's incorrect):

The ball looking thing is the Osage orange tree fruit.

A little closer shot.

This tree is not native to Virginia. I'm not sure how our farm came to have Osage orange trees, but we have several. 

This one is right out my office window. It's been there for 35 years, and this is the first time I've noticed the fruit on it that identifies it as an Osage orange.

The Osage orange tree (Maclura pomifera), also known as hedge apple, horse-apple, or bodark, is a unique and interesting tree native to the south-central United States. Here are some key points about it:

• Appearance: It is a medium-sized deciduous tree, typically growing 30-50 feet tall. The tree has a short trunk, dense, round crown, and stout thorns. Its leaves are dark green, shiny on the upper surface, and paler with some hairs along the veins on the lower surface.
• Fruit: The tree produces distinctive, large, spherical, bumpy fruits that are bright yellow-green and about 3-6 inches in diameter. Despite its name, the fruit is not related to oranges and is generally not eaten by humans.
• Uses: Historically, the wood was highly valued by Native Americans for making bows, hence the name “Bois d’Arc” (bow-wood) in French. The tree was also used as a natural fence before the invention of barbed wire due to its dense, thorny growth.
• Modern Uses: Today, the Osage orange is often used as a windbreak and for erosion control. Its wood is still prized for its durability and resistance to decay.
• Ecological Role: The tree is considered a pioneering species, often invading exposed soils and overgrazed pastures. It can become locally dominant in such environments.

Timber!

Over the last several years, as the ash borer beetle made its way through here, we have lost numerous trees. They died seemingly overnight. One year they were fine, the next, they were dead.

While most of these were ash, we have also lost a few red oak trees. This may have been because of something called oak wilt, which can cause red oaks to die in weeks. It is a disease spread by beetles, so perhaps it is no coincidence that these trees are dying or have died around the same time.

We have removed most of the dead trees around the house, but a giant red oak just over our property line remained. It was on my husband's mother's property.

We finally had it removed this weekend.

You'd think out of the 30,000 photos I have there would be a picture of this tree before it died, and there probably is, but I couldn't find it.

This is what it looked like before it was cut. Imagine it all nice and green, blocking the sky.

Tree before it was cut, next to an 8 x 10 shed.

Sorry to see you go, old friend.

The view after the tree was cut.

Compare the stump to the size of the guys.

My husband said it was about 3 feet across the stump. The tree wasn't hollow, either.

When the poison oak has died out in the fall, I may go down and see if I can count the tree rings. I'd like to know how old it was.

Virginia Dogwood

 

White Blooms Everywhere

Sunday afternoon on a quick trip to the home improvement store, I couldn't help but stare at the multitude of white-blooming trees all along the highway.

If they are all Bradford pears, then this tree is definitely out of control. But some may be wild cherry, as we are a good month ahead of ourselves with Spring so far this year.

I snapped these out the car window with my cell as we drove by.

Yesterday when I went out to the grocery store, I noticed many of the Bradford pear trees are already leafing out, the blooms going away.

Redbud and Dogwood

I shot these photos on Sunday; on Monday, we had sleet, snow, and ice. Good ol' Virginia weather!

Year's First Snow

It came from the East, with wild howls and thunder

a snow like a blizzard along the Blue Ridge Mountain row

A squall with malice as trees fell asunder

unable to bear the weight of high winds and snow.

(Yesterday, January 2, it was 70 degrees.)

Dying Dogwood Blossoms

 

Thursday Thirteen - Tree Removal

We lost more trees this week. The beetle that killed the ash trees took out a few more in the back yard. They were close to the house, so we had them removed.

The view before the tree massacre began.

My new view.

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Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here if you want to read other Thursday Thirteens and/or play along. I've been playing for a while and this is my 697th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.