Dying tree, woodpecker homes
Living in a house for over 30 years gives perspective to change. We used to have a trio of healthy sugar maples in the front yard and now we have just one showing signs of decay. But unlike the other ones that rotted out at the main trunk, this one is dying from the top. […]
Stately oak
Lands of different climates make me appreciate the diversity of plants. My niece Annie recently purchased a 10-acre farm in Northern Florida that is anchored by a magnificent live oak (Quercus virginiana). Its spreading, pendulous branches are quite different from the oaks that I am familiar with in New England. Its shiny and oval leaves […]
Cut me a tree
One of the last yearly harvests is that of the Christmas tree. We have a dozen or so planted on the property at different stages of growth. The spruces are outside the fence (where the deer can ignore them) and the firs on the inside (where the deer can’t eat them). Most years, like this […]
Late flowers
The witch hazel at @annsplaceinc looks even more spectacular than normal as its background is mostly empty of greenery. Its feathery, mid-to-late Autumn butter yellow flowers stand out in their color and unusualness. Witch hazels are an unusual example of co-evolution as they are pollinated by the winter moth, which can raise its body temperature […]
Chinese chestnuts
Though the American chestnut tree is but a faint memory and presence, its Chinese counterpart has mostly taken its place in the landscape (for now). Working last week at McKeon farm in Ridgefield, one of my fellow commissioners sent me a picture of harvested chestnuts from a tree at the far end of its orchard. […]
A walk in the woods
Last week I had the opportunity to walk a new property that will likely be donated to Ridgefield as open space. What makes this parcel special is that it is smack in the middle of undeveloped State land, which together would add up to over 40 acres of pristine forest that is adjacent to another […]
Where are the birds?
Shadblow serviceberry (Amelanchier canadensis) is one of my favorite native small trees. It is interesting to look at in all seasons. Lovely blooms in the Spring, vibrant Fall foliage and early Summer fruit that is loved by birds. But this year is unusual: the birds have not come to eat the fruit. Typically, I carefully […]
A fringe tree
The native fringetree sitting in my back yard is one of my favorites. Between its lacy, ephemeral flowers and the intoxicating lilac/honeysuckle-like fragrances, it is hard to beat as a showcase specimen tree. It is finally coming into its own in size as I planted it over a dozen years ago as a thin, delicate […]
Flowering trees
The other day I spotted a golden trumpet tree (Handroanthus albus) in fill bloom. Like the Canary Island date palm, of which there are many on our street, this South American native is one of many non-native tropicals that adorn the Keys.
Poisonwood
When a tree has a name like poisonwood you know to stay away. Metopium toxiferum is a member of the sumac family, Anacardiaceae, and like its poison sumac and oak relatives is a don’t-touch-me kind of plant. It can be identified by the fact that its leaves turn up, rather than down, and its trunk […]