Mimosa (Silk Tree)

Mimosa Tree, information to be added

Wild Black Cherry (Prunus serotina).

Wild Black Cherry (Prunus serotina).

We happen to have one of these in our side yard, and I just now found out what it is. Thanks Joannie of the AR State Parks (and friends) for the help. As is, the Wild Black Cherry is coated in finger length floral plumes, that will soon replace berries where the individual flowers are found. The berries are supposed to edible, and good for jam, though somewhat bitter for a direct taste.
The other standout of this tree is its smell. I rather like it, but it is potent and some folks may find it overbearing.

Red Bud

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(Repost)

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Eastern Redbud: Cercis canadensis

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Whoever thought to call these things "Red Bud" must have been color blind. (though I have seen a few very pale, and white versions). Red Bud function as one of my marker trees. I figure when I see them that Spring has just finished her first trimester. (Bloomin season in Central Arkansas started in early March, and hit the zenith week right now... March 19) And there is nothing like the color hum that you get when Redbud reach into bold blue skies, in combination with the new limon color of the new oaks.

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I will admit, the photos here seem to be of citified Redbuds. The country version features thinner threes, often reaching in an around the underbrush like strewn chords. And while its kind of hard to see here, the Redbud have a distinctive line to the branch, featuring an alternating, but understated zig.

Japanese Magnolia Extravaganza.

March 19-25 2010,

In the last week I have had occasion to shoot over a thousand frames of the Japanese Magnolias that grace the Arkansas State Capitol Grounds.  They are --as would be expected --an annual event, though they seem to be EXTRA gorgeous this year, in part, because they stayed on the trees without a freeze.  Like everything else this year, they bloomed about a week later than last year, and given that the last three years have bitten the blooms and turned them brown, that's a welcome delay.

The Japanese Magnolias, are - as the name suggests - a transplant. I have yet to find one in the wild, but they stand for me, as the gateway to Spring.

We appear to have three varieties of the Japanese Magnolia on the Capitol Grounds -- One variety characterized by longer petals and branches (and which blooms a few days earlier), another version with short stubby branches and a denser bloom pack, and one lone small tree with a purple, rather than soft pink bloom.

To see even more, check out these Facebook Galleries:  JMag 2010-1, JMag 2010-2, JMag 2009, and JMag 2003-2008 --- Then be sure to become a Fan of the FB Mightyworks Project Page. Thanks.

City Brad - Country Brad (Bradford Pear)

City Pear

Country Pear

Bradford Pear / Country Pear  3/19 - 3/22 (2010)

Not sure why the citified Bradford Pears of the city and town are all round (they certainly aren't pruned) or if the country Pear is a different sub-species... (many are not as tall or full as this specimen)... But countrified pear are ussually ragged on the edges, and may be far less dense.  They also seem to bloom a day or two earlier than the in city pears.  Not sure why.

Bradford Pear

It won't be too many months and I''ll be posting more of these, covered in white flowers. Bradford Pears are one of the last trees to take to color (late November, into December) and one of the first trees to break out in floral bloom (Late Feb/March) - in which they look like huge white eggs. As Pear trees go, the fruit is something of a bust. About the size of cherry and bitter. You'd have to be pretty hungry, and with a stout stomach!

Black Oak

With a leaf that looks ever like a Pin Oak (or Red Oak) on steroids, Black Oak is dominant part of our mountain woodlands. (Ever hear of the 80's rock band - Black Oak Arkansas?) Chief attribute which sets the Black Oak apart from Pin or Red Oak is size. The Black Oak leaf is both big and broad.

Southern Red Oak

Similar in style to the Red Oak and Pin Oak, but longer. This Souther Red Oak leaf measures about 8 inces, not including the stem.

This mamoth Southern Oak, on the backside of the Arkasnas State Capitol has a diamater that I guess to be over 8 feet across. It's huge.

Tossed against a curb, the falling leaves of the Souther Oak, tend to rest back side up. (since they curl toward the face, the wind blown them till they lodge face down.

Red Oak

I'm not totally sure of my Id's on these (and especially the last leaf) as the Red Oak is similar and in size and width to the Black Oak, and only slightly thicker than a Pin Oak -- and shorter than the Southern Red Oak. Beyond that, the Red of the Red Oak (and the Black of the Black Oak) is not about leaf color, but about wood color... so any guess based on Fall color is secondary.

Of interest: The last leaf looks more or less symmetrical, but a quick look at the vein structure showcases a common attribute of oak leaves, alternating vein branches.