The Grandpa Tree

This wonderful little tree has popped up in this blog before – more than once, in fact – and so I suppose I should admit that I have a distinct fondness for this little crabapple tree that sits in my parents' back yard, overlooking a corner of the deck. We call it the Grandpa Tree, because it was planted in honor and in memory of my mom's father. Every time I venture home it provides new smiles and photos. This past weekend the berries were glistening in the sun and looked particularly perfect. Enjoy!

A look back

A final taste of some trees from this past spring. Next...moving into delicious autumn! I get chills just thinking about it.

mimosa, anyone?

How great is this tree? It's Dr. Seuss-inspired (my favorite kind!) When I first saw one, it was located curiously close to a delicious local sushi restaurant, so I decided it must be Asian. Then, I began to see them along the road as I was driving to work, and realized that was a stupid assumption. I was trying to imagine how I could have never noticed these wonderful pink powder-puff fluffs growing on these local trees, and decided to do a little research. What is it? Where is it from?
Turns out, it IS Asian!! or, to be more precise, it is native to both Asia and the Middle East. It's called a Mimosa or silk tree. And birds, bees, butterflies and hummingbirds like it.
I have ALSO discovered that this is an "invasive tree" and many folks are up-in-arms about people who plant it in this part of the world. Apparently it re-seeds quite easily and can be a bit of a pain. But I can't imagine anything quite as charming as an overabundance of pink powder-puff-fluff trees - even if they ARE invasive.
My photos are all rather close-up because I didn't like the surroundings...but there's an entire pool devoted to the Mimosa at Flickr, and a couple better overviews here and here.

Spring!!

It's spring here in Carolina and I've finally come up for air (Hurray! Life's been more than a little busy as of late).
Today I had a chance to get out and take some photos, and I'll tell you what...just smelling the spring air and looking at all the nature makes me giddy. I love this time of year when there's bright new color everywhere, and funny things hanging from trees and pretty flowers growing from branches and it's all just lovely and great.
Trees! Trees! Trees!

Happy New Year

More Leaves!!!

I could look at these colorful trees all day...

Here's to Julius

"The cultivation of trees is the cultivation of the good, the beautiful, and the ennobling in man, and for one, I wish to see it become universal."

– Julius Sterling Morton
(founder of Arbor Day)

Apple Picking!

One of my favorite memories of this time of year growing up in Upstate New York is apple picking. Every year we'd bundle up, mom would pack a picnic lunch, and we'd pile into the car and head to Littletree Orchards. Other families and friends would usually come, and while all the parents would get out the bushel baskets and begin picking Empires (the local favorite) us kids would run free among (what seemed like) miles and rows and rows of apple trees! The orchard was called "Littletree" for a reason. Even as children, we could reach the branches and pick a perfectly crisp, ripe apple from the tree and rub a shiny spot just large enough to take a juicy bite before tossing it away and running to another tree for different type of apple. My favorites were a huge, green, very crisp variety called (appropriately) Crispin or Mutsu. I also loved the Macoun - some of them were so large I had to use two hands to hold one apple in order to bite into it.

Ahh...I miss those NY apples. They do NOT taste the same anywhere else - they have to be fresh! I don't like apples when I'm not in NY.

At some point after we had worked up an appetite, mom would get out the cider and powdered donuts, and we'd have a snack, and then my dad would organize a contest. We all had to try to find and bring back the best apple in a range of categories, such as: "Largest," "Most Red," "Smallest," (some of us would bring back berries and try to pass them off as apples), and occasionally there was the creative contestant - One year my sister was the self-declared winner of the "Most-Rotten-Apple-Still-Hanging-On-The-Tree" category.

The final hurrah was at the top of the little hill in the clearing, when the boys would have batting practice with icky apples that had fallen onto the ground. It was messy and funny and just a wonderful time.

***

For the record...I didn't take these photos. I refuse to go apple picking in North Carolina. I can't WAIT to go home for Thanksgiving and have some Cornell Apple Cider. The best in the world! You should all be thoroughly jealous.

Tree of the day - extreme closeup

Weird, dead pod-like-thing hanging from a branch.

Gum tree?

I love this tree. It is a Eucalyptus tree. But I am American. My knowledge of Eucalyptus comes from seeing various bunches of dried (and dyed?) Eucalyptus leaves in too-smelly craft stores or in the houses of women who hang a wreath for every season.

But these guys are the real deal. They could probably tell me whether there are actually pink Eucalyptus trees Down Under, and might even be offended to see what Americans are doing with the "Gum tree" leaves. Or am I showing my ignorance? Is this type of Eucalyptus even called a Gum Tree?

From what I can tell, this tree is a Eucalyptus Cinerea, also called an Argyle apple, Silver-leaved Stringybark or Mealy Stringybark. It's so pretty. And less than 50 steps away from my front door.

Figs and Ficus

My dear friends, I apologize for my absence. I've been indisposed as of late, and am just now resurfacing. (It was a much longer recovery than I could have imagined it would be!)

Let me tell you about my latest discovery. Much to my surprise and delight, there is a fig tree, not 50 paces from my front door. I've often passed this tree on the way to the pool, and noticed the strange, bulbous green growths, but had no idea what they could be. An exited neighbor (a couple weeks ago) enlightened me that it was, in fact, a fig tree, and that there was an abundance of nearly ripe figs just about to burst.

Well, then along came my surgery and it took me quite a while to get out of the house to walk even those 50 steps with my camera. But I have recovered. I took a few (unexciting) photos, but I think I missed most of the ripe fruit, though I imagine they were bursting off the trees last week while I was lying on the couch watching the entire Season 1 and 2 of Grey's Anatomy (pathetic, I know).

I have since learned that fig trees are in the ficus genus, which I found interesting because all I really know about ficus trees is that they are finicky, hard to grow, and they drop their leaves when they aren't happy. (This could be a vast generalization based on the case of the sad little indoor ficus that the BF and his siblings killed by confining it to a dark, dreary room and throwing it only a cupful of water every few weeks. Once I found out, it was much too late to save...)

(In his defense, he's done a remarkable job watering the tomato plants as of late).

You'll see that the fig tree is also right next to a cool Eucalyptus tree. More on that tomorrow...

Ginkgo Biloba

Walking through town the other day, I came upon this Ginkgo tree. I can clearly remember the first time my mom pointed out a Ginkgo to my sister and me - the distinctive shape of the leaves was forever etched in my mind and I've taken pride in being able to identifying a Ginkgo from that day forward. Not that it's difficult. Once you've seen one, you won't forget it. The fan-shaped leaves and bright golden color in the autumn make it easy to recognize.

But I've just learned something fascinating about the Ginkgo tree. It is considered a "living fossil," which basically means that it lived during ancient times, was once thought to be extinct, but then was rediscovered, and still exists today in a form very similar to the fossils of its prehistoric ancestors. The horseshoe crab and the cockroach have changed very little over millions of years, and are also considered living fossils.

Scientists do not know whether the Ginkgo tree still exists in the wild because it has been cultivated and tended for thousands of years by Chinese monks. The monks may have helped keep the species alive when it otherwise may have gone extinct. In any case, the Ginkgo is a wonderful tree. A brilliant example of longevity. And Ginkgo extract has also been used medicinally to help circulatory disorders and enhance memory.

May the Ginkgo live another 270 million years!

Forever green

Some sort of interesting evergreen tree. Isn't it marvelous? Looks like dancing fingers. I just love looking at trees this closely. It makes me feel like I know a secret. I feel fairy-sized, like I can tiptoe up a branch if I wish. Click on the photos above for their full size. You'll see what I mean.

sprouts

Whenever I see new little leaves I get quite excited. These could each become a great big branch someday. Seriously, it's as if I've just discovered how trees grow...just this year. Walking along a nature trail in early spring I was amazed to see new little sprouts growing from what looked like dead tree branches. In my head, I know this happens every year. That's what autumn is all about...the leaves change colors and fall off, and the trees are bare all winter. Then, the leaves grow back in the spring. It's all so simple, really. But for some reason I really took notice this year and it seemed amazing. All those dead-looking, bare winter trees everywhere...they all come back to life. Little buds and leaves grow right through the "dead" bark. They are determined to grow, and I love it. New little sprouts. They're alive! Trees are alive. How cool is that. I love looking at trees close-up – it offers a good change in perspective.

a closer look.

I don't know much about trees. Except that I really like them. A lot. I frequently find myself distracted by trees while driving. It's dangerous, I suppose, but I just find them so fascinating and beautiful. Or ugly. I like ugly trees, too, even though I rarely find them ugly. On days when I've lost perspective, and feel "blah," or on lousy mornings when the world seems exceptionally dull...sometimes I'll see a perfect tree, and forget everything for a moment. Perhaps it's a funny little round one. Or a fluffy pink one. Or a really really tall skinny one. Or a crooked Dr. Seuss tree...(those are the best). As sappy as this little story may sound...it's true. Trees have brought a smile to my face when nothing else could. *sigh*

Thus...this blog...my homage to trees.

When you look at some trees very, very closely, you may see interesting pod-like things. I have no idea what they are. But I like them.