November 4 - American Chestnut - Castanea dentata

November 1 - The Crab Apple Tree - Malus coronaria

Malus coronaria from my journal.

October 19 - The Tulip Tree - Lirodendron tulipifera

The Tulip Tree - Lirodendron tulipifera

October 6 - The Sweet Birch - Betula lenta

Betual lenta, you smell so sweet, like Wintergreen.

Festival of the Trees

The Buttonbush Tree and the Swallowtail Butterfly

My husband and I were out canoeing one day a few weeks ago in July in Arkansas on the North Fork of the White River.  We came upon several small trees, called the Buttonbush.  These trees were covered in Swallowtail butterflies.  There were hundreds of the Swallowtails all over the Buttonbush trees.   I imagine that they just emerged from their cacoons and were feeding on the flowers of these small trees.  It was like magic seeing all of these beautiful butterflies.  We paused our canoeing and just watched the beauty of nature on a summer's day.

The Buttonbush is called Cephalanthus occidentalis.  It can grow to be 25-30 feet high and 4-5 feet in diameter.  Waterfowl and birds eat the seeds of this tree.  It seems the Swallowtail also enjoys the flowers.

August 31 - American Plum - Prunus americana

This is the American Plum tree in the summertime.  This tree lives in Mountain Home, Arkansas.   There is a grove of American Plum here.  The grove is in a garden on the Crystal Willet Nature Trail.  Master gardeners take care of this space.  The space is open and lends an air of peace that lets your mind rest and any tiresome thoughts just drift away.  There are benches for observing nature and plenty of nature around.  I saw rabbits myself as well as many different birds while sitting in the park this evening after work.  I highly recommend an afternoon in nature.  Just sit.  While sitting do not engage your thoughts, just acknowledge them and keep on sitting.

July 22 - Hop tree or Wafer ash - Ptelea trifolia

hop tree or wafer ash, a photo by ophis on Flickr.

July 14 - The River Birch Tree - Betula nigra

The River Birch Tree.  This River Birch Tree lives at the Asheville Botanical Gardens.  The reddish-colored papery, flaky bark makes this tree stand out in the woods.    Photo by BGA staff.

The Passionflower

The Passionflower

April 29 - Mountain Sweet Pepperbush - Clethra acuminata

Mountain Sweet Pepperbush

Mountain Sweet Pepperbush

Mountain Sweet Pepperbush

This Mountain Sweet Pepperbush lives at the Asheville Botanical Gardens.  ashevillebotanicalgardens.org
The cinnamon colored bark stands out to help in identification.

Rebecca

How Do Trees Inspire Me?



How do trees inspire me?

The PawPaw flower

Trees inspire me to be grateful for this moment,

to pause and see the beauty as a bud turns into flower.

Carolina Silverbell

Trees inspire me to learn their names.

To explore all the different colors , flowers and fruits they wear each season.

Black Locust Flowers

Trees inspire me to do share with others that we are all one sharing one planet.

Peace,


Rebecca

April 6 - Sweet Birch - Betula lenta

Sweet Birch - Betula lenta

The Sweet Birch is almost ready to open.  This Sweet Birch lives beside my house.

The next photo is a Sweet Birch that lives in West Asheville with new leaves emerging from the bud.

Sweet Birch - Betula lenta

April 1 - The Sweetgum Tree - Liquidambar styraciflua

The Sweetgum tree has such interesting spring buds as shown in this photo by  Martin LaBar, Flickr

Sweetgum bud, opened, showing both new leaves and flowers a photo by Martin LaBar on Flickr.

The Red Cedar

The Beautiful Red Cedar by Camelia. 
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cameliatwu/

Waxy blue berries a photo by CameliaTWU on Flickr.
This photo is the female Red Cedar.

Tiny pollen cones a photo by CameliaTWU on Flickr.
This photo is the male Red Cedar.

Thank you for sharing, Camelia.

Rebecca

Festival of the Trees - February 27 - The Bamboo Plant - Tree

The Bamboo.  The amazing tree-like plant for the Festival of the Trees.

While walking in the Leu Botanical Gardens in Orlando this week, I came upon this bamboo  The bambo plants are all standing close together in various shades of green; the nodes are swelling getting ready to sprout.  http://www.leugardens.org/


The bamboo is in a family called Poaceae.  Plants in this family are called true grasses; bamboo, a tree-like plant is in this family.  Bamboo is one of the fastest growing plants on the earth.  
 
There are three native bambo plants to America.  The majority of bambo is native to Southeast Asia and Latin America.  If you ever want to grow your own bambo, it is most important to only plant native bambo that is native to where you live.   This is so that the animals, the birds, and insects will always have their native food and habitats.  Biodiversity is what will keep our ecosystems healthy.  By planting such a prolifically- growing plant, that is not native, one may lose the native species and thus, the native wildlife.

Bamboo can be used in so many ways. I was reading about bicycles, boats, and fabrics all made from bamboo. Bamboo grows fast and does not need pesticides or fertilizers to grow. Bambo is very efficient at cleaning air and water, even more so than trees.  I am going to start wearing bambo in honor of this tree-like plant that cleans so much of our air and water.

Peace,

Rebecca
http://ayearwiththetrees.blogspot.com/

February 9 - The Paw Paw Tree - Asimina triloba

The Paw Paw Tree

This Paw Paw patch is at the Asheville Botanical Gardens.  ashevillebotanicalgardens.org 

The Paw Paw Tree

 

The Paw Paw Tree

The buds are expanding and swelling each day this time of year.

Rebecca

February 3 - The Fig Tree - Ficus carica

February 3 - The Fig Tree

The Fig Tree is the "A Year With the Trees" tree for Feb. 3, May 3, August 3, and November 3.  You can read more about this tree by clicking on Ficus carica and also on ficus on the left under "labels."

This Fig Tree lives at the Thomas Edison Estates in Florida.  I was there in January and found the Edison estates to be so amazing.  What an incredible individual.  Did you know that he had 1,093 successful U.S. patent applications????  amazing.....As a chemist, I am totally into this fact....

There are beautiful trees everywhere.  You see, he was going to make rubber from trees other than rubber trees, and he did extensive tree planting and research on that subject.  He also loved edible trees...I did read that he planted the fig trees in a place that he could not see from his house for he thought they were, well to put it nicely.....unattractive....that is one point that I disagree with Mr. T.  on.

I do recommend visiting the Thomas Edison estates in Ft. Myers, Florida.  www.efwefla.org/
Perhaps Mr. T. was also a Lorax relative, like me....

This tree always reminds me to add a bit of the sweetness to our lives by smiling or passing on a kind word at each person/animal/plant you come across during your day and night. Who knows the effect a smile or just one kind word might have on another life.

Peace,

Rebecca

Happy Birthday Rheta W.!!!

February 1 - The Apple Tree - Malus domestica

The Apple Tree

The Apple Tree

This Apple Tree lives next door to me. The apple tree reminds me of Apple Cider and Apple Jack and pioneers moving out west in America. You see, I have been listening to the book, "The Botany of Desire" by Michael Pollan. If you ever want to learn more about this amazing fruit, I encourage you to listen or read what Michael P. has to say. I found what he talked about most enlightening.
www.michaelpollan.com

"The first wealth is health." Ralph Waldo Emerson

Rebecca

January 29 - Crepe Myrtle - Lagerstroemia

The Crepe Myrtle Tree

The Crepe Myrtle Tree

This tree's seed pods glow in the winter's evening sunlight, and the bark always amazes me the way it reflects the light of the day.

Rebecca