Edgar the Tree

Yesterday's post showed an image of fruit blossoms that have surprisingly appeared on a PawPaw tree in our backyard.

Today's post is of a maple tree that is growing nearby.



Several years ago, after a visit with friends, I found my parked vehicle covered in hundreds of maple keys that had fallen from nearby trees. On a lark I gathered handfuls of these keys to plant them in small starter pots to see what would happen.

In short order the bulk of these seeds sprouted into tiny seedlings, and over the course of the Summer I either gave away or transplanted all of them in various locations. The empty pots (including those of the seeds that didn't take hold) I left at the side of the house, and subsequently forgot about them.

Months later I was surprised to notice a gangly seedling in one of the "empty" pots. This little guy was obviously a late bloomer, and now that it was late in the season I was hard pressed for ideas on where to plant him before Winter set in.

Without much thought I decided to place this seedling in the middle of the garden at the back of the yard, to see if he'd even survive the first snow. Survive he did, and by the next Spring it was growing by leaps and bounds.

In just a few year's time this tree has grown to over 20 ft. tall, and is now a permanent fixture in the yard. This tree's shade is especially welcome on hot Summer afternoons.

This tree has also been named. We call him: Edgar.

The PawPaw Tree has Blossoms!

Two weeks ago I posted images of some lesser known species of trees that were starting to bud with the coming of Spring.

One of these trees was a PawPaw, and it's a particular favorite of mine because a) it's extremely rare in this area, and b) it's survival is critical for biodiversity since it's the only tree capable of hosting the larvae of the Zebra Swallowtail butterfly.

Today I made a fascinating discovery about this tree, because it is now showing fruit blossoms as well. This has me thrilled beyond belief, because this PawPaw is supposed to be years away from being mature enough to bear fruit.

This moment reminds me of something Nelson Henderson once said, in that:

"The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit."

Spring has Sprung - Finally !

Today we enjoyed some warm and sunny weather. Finally !

Probably the best indicator that Spring has sprung is seeing the trees starting to bud.

When I relocated my shop to its current location in 2001 one of the first things I did was to plant some trees on the surrounding property. I opted to plant several lesser known and indigenous species of trees, including a few that are considered to be species at risk in this area.



This Shagbark Hickory is clearly wasting little time getting its buds out into the light of the Sun. Other species including Butternut, Swamp Oak, Pin Oak, Black Walnut and PawPaw remain mostly dormant.



This PawPaw is one of my favorite trees. Although not considered to be a particular species at risk, this tree is extremely rare in these parts since we are located more to the north of its usual climate zone.



I felt inspired to plant some of these trees, largely because the PawPaw is the only tree able to host the Zebra Swallowtail butterfly.

On so many levels it is essential to do what is possible to help sustain biodiversity.