What's Happening in April 2021?

Close up of the shadbush/serviceberry, 
whole campus was white

close up of the forsythia, not native but colorful

female box elder

Cherry tree at south entrance,one week later 
than serviceberry

Purple or red dead nettle in the turf

close up of the dead nettle

violets in the turf as well

male box elder, if you are sensitive to pollen

 The country turtle was visiting the city.  He made a wrong turn down an alley and was mugged by a gang of snails.  The police officer asked him about the attack.  "I don't know it all happened so fast".  So the anticipated blooming of the serviceberry (aka shadbush) was spectacular during the first week of April but was over quickly.  For those who have minute hands on their watches dating the bloom exactly is difficult.  And then comparing it to the traditional spring occurrences also imprecise.

There is a story that the serviceberry name relates to ground being warm enough to conduct funeral services.  The ground was warmer but I did not find easy references to frost at six feet down.  The bloom is also a sign of impending shad runs.  The local fishing sites did indicate shad fishing in the area, but there are more than one species with some runs a little later.  At the peak of bloom here say April 10th the shad fishing was particularly active in the Potomac near DC.  All the shad fishing is catch and release. No more gigantic fish runs.

Are we a little sad to know that the cedar-apple rust is soon to appear on the serviceberry?

So in summary a short spectacular bloom of the serviceberry which more or less coincides with the traditional stories.

Elsewhere the cherry trees at the front, south, entrance where also blooming maybe a week later and the Redbud where just starting to bloom a week after that.   There are flower clocks around, and there could probably be flower calendars but some months would be very quiet. We were traveling in March and noted the Fringe trees blooming further south.  That will be something to watch.  

We missed part of March this year but include a photo of the forsythia.  This was middle of the east side near the fence.  It is colorful and although not native seems not to cause a stir as far as invasive.  It is known as stoloniferous.  The arching bows can touch the ground and create new roots.  This particular patch does not seem very aggressive.  The bloom was also relatively short.

Otherwise there is some color in the turf which is also shown in the photos.  Violets, dandelions, and purple dead nettle.  

What did not happen?  The dogwoods in the flower bed have not started blooming, while the neighborhood dogwood trees are blooming.  I did not see much if any lesser celandine which is blanketing other parks and yards. 

Pollen season is beginning and illustrated are the male and female box elder fruits with the male causing the pollen problems.  Cryptomeria causes allergy attacks in Japan, but there is no obvious activity on the local trees as yet.

Finally I may include a picture from the trip, a snow-in-summer tree. I should have had family in front of it for scale.  It is 20-30 feet high and 30-40 feet broad.  All the way from Australia.








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