After a long winter, flowers in spring are always a welcome sight. Snowdrops, crocuses and daffodils are celebrated, bringing bright colors to our bleak brown yards. But if we look up, there are other blossoms that appear in the earliest days of spring. Those are the flowers on trees and shrubs that may be less conspicuous, but are an important herald of the season.
The quaking aspen is probably the most widely distributed native North American tree species, but it is not as common in our heavily forested state, because it does not tolerate shade. It is a pioneer species, growing rapidly in old fields or the edges of open areas where sunshine is prevalent. Though it may be less abundant, where it does grow, it is easily noticed. At this time of year, before the leaves come out, aspens produce fuzzy catkins that resemble dangling caterpillars, which give the whole tree a gossamer look.
However, the catkins are not all alike. Aspens are dioecious which means the reproductive structures appear on different individuals – male trees or female trees. They both must be present for seeds to form on the female tree. The female tree produces catkins that have a reddish stigma, whereas the male catkins have blackish anthers. This difference would be difficult to discern since the catkins are high in the tops of the trees, but from a distance these flower structures add a softness to the trees to match the warming of the weather.
Another harbinger of spring is the pussy willow, a shrub which is also dioecious. Female plants have small soft buds and the male plant produces larger fuzzy nubs that transform into yellow puff balls when the stamens mature. The pollen is an important food source for insects during a time when flowers are scarce. Planting or encouraging native pussy willows is a good way to support pollinators. This plant does best in slightly wet soil.
Red maple trees are another early bloomer. Locally the buds are swelling and with warming weather, will likely open soon. When they do, male and female flowers will be revealed, often on different trees. But unlike the aspen and pussy willow, this can change from year to year. Look for a red maple sapling that is short enough to provide access to the buds, it will be easy to identify because it’s one of the few trees with red buds and flowers this early. Search for the scarlet and feathery blossoms with drooping male anthers, containing yellow pollen at the tips. From them, the pollen is released and dispersed by the wind, hopefully landing on the sticky stigma of a female flower on another tree. The division of reproductive parts reduces self-fertilization and allows for a more diverse gene pool.
It’s easy to tell when the red maple flowers have served their purpose. The ground under a tree will be carpeted with miniature red florets. Soon after that, red winged seeds will add their own color to the canopy, only to be hidden by emerging green leaves during the advancement of spring into summer.
Later in the month, but still before leaves begin to pop, a native shrub with slightly more conspicuous flowers will enter the blooming schedule. The shadbush with its five-petaled, floppy, white flowers will decorate roadsides and provide food for numerous bees, flies and other insects.
The shadbush, also called shadblow, service berry or June berry gets its various common names because of the timing of its flowers and fruit. It blooms when the shad (one of the largest members of the herring fish family) are seen in local rivers. As diadromous fish they migrate between fresh and salt water, returning to rivers to spawn in early spring. The second common name comes from the idea that it blooms when the ground has thawed enough to bury those who died in the winter, a time to have their service. The fertilized blossoms develop blue berries in June, hence the name June berry.
Each of these early blooming plants fills a particular niche, meeting the needs of various wildlife and reassuring us that the dormancy of winter is over and the season of growth has begun.
Bagikan Berita Ini
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