After an early morning rain, some of the backyard trees and shrubs glistened with raindrops. With camera in hand, I decided to take a closer look. I didn’t have much luck capturing images of the raindrops, but in the process I happened to notice the amazing colors in the wet bark of our baldcypress tree (Taxodium distichum).
Category: Trees
Wahoo adds hot pink fall color
I’m thoroughly enjoying the hot pink pods of our Eastern wahoo tree (Euonymus atropurpureus). I especially appreciate it this time of year when most of our fall color is gone. When we find it in the woods, we don’t usually see such abundant seed pods. I’m guessing more sun makes the difference. 
This is a small tree or large shrub that’s easy to grow. Ours is now about 15 feet tall, and makes a much bigger splash than it did in 2010. In addition to the autumn color, pollinators visit the small flowers in spring, and birds feed on the red berries that drop from the pink pods.
I’m glad to have this tree in our backyard. I wish it was better known, and planted more often.
A tale of two tupelos
The trees in the backyard are showing a wide variety of colors. And our tupelo (blackgum) tree (Nyssa sylvatica) is once again a brilliant red and especially striking.
16 new neighborhood trees!
I’m delighted that we now have 16 new trees (10 different species) in our small neighborhood. These were all bare-root trees ordered and delivered by arborist Stacy Borden (The Tree Man). Bare-root trees generally cost less, are easy to plant, and grow quickly. This was the scene as neighbors gathered and Stacy began his 30-minute planting demonstration.
The following photos are a summary of Stacy’s demonstration. Continue reading “16 new neighborhood trees!”
Red maple flowers
I’m convinced spring has arrived. Spring peepers are peeping, and red maple trees (Acer rubrum) are blooming.
I’ve enjoyed the subtle color of maple flowers for years, and I’ve recently discovered how intricate and beautiful they are. I often see the small blossoms high overhead or from a distance, and they’re easy to overlook. These are male flowers as seen from the ground.
