Arbor Day

I hope you're enjoying your Arbor Day, readers! I have to say that someone at Earth Day should have thought about the timing when they established their observance...these two events are so close together as to limit their effectiveness. Arbor Day was here first. Who am I to complain, though? It makes my 'job' as a nature blogger pretty easy. I hope these photos, some from the National Arboretum and others from around the region, can capture the essence of tree.

This magnolia bloom was found in one of my favorite parts of the Arboretum.

Another magnolia was home to this slick little creature. This, of course, only scratches the surface of trees as habitat.

Of course, the Arboretum is home to much more than just trees. Look at the pollination on THAT!

If these photos hardly do justice to the "arbor" part of National Arboretum, neither does the Welcome Center.

I'll get started now on just identifying some common local trees beyond just "oak" and "maple." This is a white ash, Fraxinus americana. This isn't the best picture to ID from, but the distinctive bark is the key.

 

This is a black locust, Robinia pseudoacacia. It is easy to distinguish from its relative, the honey locust, because the honey is possessed of long, sharp spines.

Ah, the American sycamore. I showed a close-up of the bark in yesterday's post. That look in combination with this large and unique leaf make this an easy tree to ID, even for beginners.

And of course, nothing beats the sassafras for easy identification, provided it is leaved. This is actually three species of tree in the genus Sassafras, although Sassafras albidum (variously called white sassafras, red sassafras, and silky sassafras) is the only one native here.

Well, that's all for today...if you haven't yet, get out there and appreciate those trees!