Yellow Buckeye is in flower now at Purchase Knob in the Smokies

Yellow Buckeye, Aesculus flava - Summer flower at Purchase Knob in the Smokies

Summer flowers at Cataloochee

Halsia carolina, Carolina Silverbell flower collection

Halsia carolina, Carolina Silverbell

Halsia carolina, Carolina Silverbell

Magnoli fraseri, Frasier Magnolia, Flower collection

Magnoli fraseri, Fraser Magnolia

Magnoli fraseri, Fraser Magnolia

Magnolia fraseri, Fraser Magnolia, Spring and Summer leaf collection

Magnolia fraseri, Fraser Magnolia 

Acer negundo, Box Elder, Spring and Summer Leaf Collection.

This is the start of my Spring and Summer leaf collection of the Box Elder tree.  As I collect more leaf images this spring and summer, I will add them to this post.    If anyone has drawings or photographs of this tree, you would like to contribute, please send them to me; I will be most grateful.

Acer negundo, Box Elder

The Collections of A Year With the Trees

Cercis canadensis,  Red Bud, Fruit

I have decided to start a new project this spring.  A tree project I have been inspired to accomplish.  It will take a while, perhaps years.

This project is a collection of photos and drawings of all 93 Southern Appalachian trees in this blog.  The collection is composed of six parts.

One part of the collection, I call leaves, spring and summer.
One part of the collection, I call leaves, fall.
One part of the collection, I call buds and twigs.
One part of the collection, I call bark.
One part of the collection, I call flowers.
and
One part of the collection, I call fruit.

Every tree, all 93, will be present in all six collections.  I see each collection as a collage, printed as well as on the internet. I imagine these collections will inspire people to take more notice of nature, to learn something new everyday, and to appreciate the beauty that surrounds us all.  Inspiration, learning, and appreciation of nature, three traits that can always make life a bit sweeter.

How many images is this?  93 times 6.  Which equals 558 images.   There are to be 558 posts for this project.  Each post, filled with images sent to me or created by me.   For instance, there will be a post for the first tree called:  Acer negundo, Box Elder, Spring and Summer leaf collection.  This post will be composed of every image that has to do with only one tree, the Acer negundo and only spring and summer leaves.

Then, when all collections are completed; I will choose which images are to be represented in the six different collages.  If you are feeling creative, and would like to help me with this project; please send me a message and some images.  I will love hearing from you.

You can contact me at:  Celerylady@gmail.com.  Or, you can send me a message here at A Year With the Trees.  Thank you for reading this and I hope to hear from you soon!

Rebecca


A Year With the Trees
A Collection of Southern Appalachian Trees

Aceracae, The Maple family
1.   Acer negundo.  Box Elder
2.   Acer pensylvanicum.  Striped Maple
3.   Acer rubrum.  Red Maple
4.   Acer saccharinum.  Silver Maple\
5.   Acer saccharum.  Sugar Maple
6.   Acer spicatum.  Mountain Maple

Annonaceae, The Custard Apple Family
7.   Asimina triloba.  PawPaw

Aquifoliaceae, The Holly Family
8.   Ilex montana.  Mountain Winterberry
9.   Ilex opaca.  American Holly
10. Ilex verticillata.  Common Winterberry

Araliaceae, The Ginseng Family
11.  Aralia spinosa.  Devils Walking Stick

Betulaceae, The Birch Family
12.  Alnus serrulata.  Tag Alder
13.  Betula alleghaniensis.  Yellow Birch
14.  Betula lenta.  Black Birch
15.  Betula nigra.  River Birch
16.  Betual papyrifera - Paper Birch
17.  Carpinus caroliniana - American Hornbeam
18.  Ostraya virginiana - Eastern Hornbeam

Caprifoliaceae - The Honeysuckle Family
19.  Viburnum prunifolium.  Black Haw

Cornaceae - The Dogwood Family
20.  Cornus alternifolia - Alternate Leaved Dogwood
21.  Cornus florida - Flowering Dogwood
22.  Nyssa sylvatica - Black Gum

Cupressaceae - The Cypress Family
23.  Juniperus virginiana - Eastern Red Cedar

Ebenaceae - The Ebony Family
24.  Diospyros virginiana - Persimmon

Ericaceae - The Heath Family
25.  Kalmia latifolia - Mountain Laurel
26.  Oxydendron arboretum - Sourwood
27.  Rhododendron catawbiense - Catawba Rhododendron
28.  Rhododendron maximum - Rosebay Rhododendron

Fabraceae - The Bean Family
29.  Cercis canadensis - Redbud
30.  Cladrastis kentuckea - Yellowwood
31.  Gleditsia triacanthos - Honeylocust
32.  Gymnocladus dioicus - Kentucky Coffeetree
33.  Robina pseudoacacia - Black Locust

Fagaceae - The Beech Family
34.  Castanea dentate - American Chestnut
35.  Castanea pumila - Allegheny Chickapin
36.  Fagus grandifolia - American Beech
37.  Quercus alba - White Oak
38.  Quercus coccinea - Scarlet Oak
39.  Quercus falcata - Southern Red Oak
40.  Quercus stellata - Post Oak
41.  Quercus marilandica - Blackjack Oak
42.  Quercus montana (prinus) Chestnut Oak
43.  Quercus phellos - Willow Oak
44.  Quercus rubra - Northern Red Oak
45.  Quercus velutina - Black Oak

Hamamelidaceae - The Witch Hazel Family
46.  Hamamelis virginiana - Witch Hazel
47.  Liquidambar styraciflua - Sweetgum

Hippocastanaceae - Buckeye Family
48.  Aesculus flava - Yellow Buckeye

49.  Aesculus parvaflora – Bottlebrush Buckeye

50.  Aesculus pavia – Red Buckeye

Juglandaceae – Walnut Family 

51.  Carya cordiformis – Bitternut Hickory

52.  Carya glabra – Pignut Hickory

53.  Carya ovata – Shagbark Hickory

54.  Carya tomentosa (alba) – Mockernut Hickory

55.  Juglans cinerea – Butternut

56.  Juglans nigra – Black Walnut

Lauraceae – Laurel Family

57.  Sassafras albidum – Sassafras

Magnoliaceae – Magnolia Family

58.  Lirodendron tulipifera – Yellow Poplar

59.  Magnolia acuminate – Cucumber Tree

60.  Magnolia fraseri - Fraser Magnolia

61.  Magnolia macrophylla - Bigleaf Magnolia

62.  Magnolia tripetala - Umbrella Magnolia

Moraceae – Mulberry Family

 63.  Morus rubra - Red Mulberry

Oleaceae – Olive Family

64.  Chionanthus virginicus - Fringe Tree

65.  Fraxinius americana - White Ash

66.  Fraxinus pennsylvanica - Green Ash

Pinaceae – Pine Family

67.  Albies fraseri - Fraser Fir

68.  Picea rubens - Red Spruce

69.  Picus echinata - Shortleaf Pine

70.  Pinus punchens - Table Mountain Pine

71.  Pinus rigida - Pitch Pine

72.  Pinus strobus - Eastern White Pine

73.  Pinus taeda - Loblolly Pine

74.  Pinus virginiana - Virginia Pine

75.  Tsuga canadensis - Eastern Hemlock

76.  Tsuga caroliniana - Carolina Hemlock

Platanaceae – Sycamore Family

77.  Plantanus occidentalis - Sycamore

Rosaceae – Rose Family

78.  Ameranchier arborea - Serviceberry

79.  Crataegus, sp. - Hawthorn

80.  Malus coronara - Sweet Crabapple

81.  Prunus americana - American Plum

82.  Prunus pensylvanica - Pin Cherry

83.  Prunus serotina - Black Cherry

84.  Sorbus americana - American Mountain Ash

Rutaceae – Rue Family

85.  Ptelea trifolia - Hoptree

Salicaceae – Willow Family

86.  Salix nigra - Black Willow

Styracaceae – Storax Family

87.  Halesia carolina - Carolina Silverbell

88.  Styrax grandifolia - Bigleaf Storax

Tiliaceae – Basswood Family

89.  Tilia americana – Basswood

Ulmaceae – Elm Family

90.  Celtis occidentalis – Hackberry

91.  Ulmus alata – Winged Elm

92.  Ulmus americana – American Elm

93.  Ulmus rubra – Slippery Elm

Thank you everyone for reading this and contributing if you feel inspired to do so!!!!

Rebecca

Spring at Buck Creek

Cornus florida, Flowering Dogwood.

The Dogwood and Silverbell Trees are in full bloom this week at Buck creek in McDowell County.  The new leaves of the American Beech have emerged from the buds.  The Whip-poor-will has been serenading us at night.  The Chimney Swifts are flying over the meadow all day long, feeding on flying insects.  The Swifts are drinking water in Buck creek as they fly.  The Chimney Swifts have flown here from South America to live here in the spring and summer and early fall to raise their families before flying back to South America in the late fall.  The Whip-poor-wills have come from Mexico and Florida to live here in the spring and summer.  These are always signs of spring for me, the Dogwoods and Silverbells in bloom, the Whip-poor-will serenade, the flying theatrics of the Chimney Swifts catching their food in flight, and the American Beech leaves opening.

My husband, Robert, just told me a story about seeing a Whip-poor-will in Florida in February in the Everglades.  He was in the swamps looking for pythons at night, for the pythons are known to move to the warm roads which retain their day-time heat long into the night.  So, he and his friend, Ross, are driving down the roads in the Everglades looks for Pythons to photograph, when they heard the Whip-poor-will.  They stopped and saw the bird and took his photo. Robert says he will give me the photo to post when we get home this weekend.  If that happens, I will post it here.  I am also going to ask him to take the photo of the the Chimney Swift as well.  I hope that happens.  More later on that.

So if you can find the time, go find the blooming dogwoods and silverbells.  Listen for the Whip-poor-will and watch for the aerial feeding Chimney Swifts.    Enjoy!!!  Life is rich and full.

Silverbell tree flowers,  Halesia carolina

Fagus grandifolia, American Beech

Today I took a drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway.  The day was beautiful; I felt such gratitude to be alive with all the beauty of nature that surrounded me.

The Red Maples blooming on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Red Maples blooming

The American Beech's pointed buds waiting their time to open and last year's leaves still holding on.  

Fruticose lichen living on a Yellow Buckeye tree on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Mountain Maple Bud on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Spring is bustin out all over....

I went walking in the Botanical Gardens at Asheville and witnessed the spring beauty that is all around us this time of year.

Cornus florida buds

Fagus grandifolia is lighting the woods still with the remaining leaves from  last season.

Fagus grandifolia's pointed bud

Young magnolia leaves are opening.

Oconee bells in flower.

Hi everyone,

This article is on the blogsite for the North Carolina Environmental Education website.  I wanted to share this with "A Year With the Trees" in case you would like to visit the booklet I created about some of the trees at the Botanical Gardens at Asheville.  The booklet was created as a way to encourage you to begin journalling about the trees.  

You can visit the blog for the North Carolina Environmental Education website at:

http://certifiedenvironmentaleducators.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2012-11-30T15:11:00-05:00&max-results=7

There is a link in this article to take you to my little booklet on 32 of the trees at the Botanical Gardens of Asheville.

My favorite part of the EE Certification Program was meeting so many interesting like-minded individuals.

Going to Purchase Knob in the Great Smokey Mountains National Park and viewing lichen and Tardegrades in the microscope was the experience that stood out for me. Purchase Knob is a treasure on top of the world.

For my community partnership project, I created a teaching tool for use at the Botanical Gardens at Asheville. The teaching tool is called:  A GPS Guide to a selection of Southern Appalachian Native Trees that live at the Botanical Gardens at Asheville. The booklet contains a list of 32 native trees of the Southern Appalachian Mountains. All 32 species live at the Botanical Gardens of Asheville and are members of 12 different families of trees. This booklet was written as a guide to challenge the reader to find all the trees listed; and then, to get to know the trees by observing them. The reader is encouraged to visit the trees in all four seasons as a way to really become familiar with each species.