Nature Notes and Inspired Walks with our Naturalist, Hester are a great way to get outside, enjoy nature, and learn or discover something new. 

 

  

Red Maple Trees - Take a walk outside and you are sure to notice the red maple trees covered in blooms. This tree is easily recognizable by its early red spring flowers. Perhaps this time you will stop and take a closer look at the flowers. Each bud unfolds about half a dozen tiny, dark-red blossoms, each shaped like a tiny tulip. But wait… not all the blossoms are identical. Red maple trees are monoecious; that means with separate male and female flowers, sometimes on the same tree and sometimes on separate trees. Male flowers are not stalked and have numerous stamens with long filaments with anthers. Female flowers have a style split into 2 parts. And guess what? When sexes are on the same tree, they will be on different branches.

 

One of my favorite wildflowers is the common wild violet. It is a perennial that spreads easily from seeds. They have lovely heart-shaped leaves and large charming blue-violet flowers (sometimes yellow or white). And did you know that these flowers are edible? Take a walk in your yard or down your street and see if you can spot them! 

 

Forcing tree branches is so easy and uplifting. Just prune non-essential branches of spring-flowering trees such as forsythia and pussy willow and place in a vase. That's it! The warm weather of your house will encourage the buds to open. Sure it's already nice out but try it anyway! Even a single branch forced indoors can be so charming. Cherry trees, forsythia, pussy willows and dogwood are commonly used but I also like to bring in anything that I find that looks interesting from walnut to oak tree branches.

 

It must be spring because I spy mayapple! For the Harry Potter fans out there it is also called an American mandrake or wild mandrake. All parts of this plant are toxic except for the ripe yellow fruit which is edible in small amounts. Interestingly, Mayapple can be also used topically to remove warts! Between the rain showers, take a walk and see if you can spot one.

 

Have you noticed these male cones developing on Lloblolly pine (Pinus taeda) trees? Everyone knows what pinecones look like; they are the female cones and produce seeds. The male cones, however, produce pollen. It is also called microstrobilus or pollen cone. If you are trying to identify a loblolly pine, note that its needles are in bundles of three, are sometimes twisted, and measure 12–22 cm (4 3⁄4–8 3⁄4 in) long. Did you know that the U.S. Forest Service surveys found that loblolly pine is the second-most common species of tree in the United States, after red maple?

 

Sassafras flowers! Sassafras albidum is a beautiful and relatively small native tree. I love sassafras trees! The leaves, which have not grown in yet, smell spicy when crushed. Give it a smell next time you see one!

Like the maple tree, it has male and female flowers on separate trees. Insects pollinate the flowers and dark blue-black drupe fruits form on female trees in late summer.

 

Edible Flowers!

Can you believe that these beautiful spring flowers from the redbud tree are edible? They taste good too! I think they have a subtle sweet flavor fresh picked. They are also wonderful cooked. I had them for lunch stir-fried with my green beans. Isn’t it pretty?

Give it a taste!

 

Have you heard the Spring Peepers?

Male Spring Peepers were calling when I was out for a walk recently. Individual frogs are surprisingly loud! And when many frogs are calling together they can be heard for a mile or more! I think collectively they sounds like sleigh bells! Listen for these frogs the next time you step outside.

Illustration from archival publication, “Familiar life in field and forest; the animals, birds, frogs, and salamanders” (1898)

 

Let's find a Cranefly Orchid!

This plant is awesome! First of all, look at a leaf. It looks like warty frog skin and second, the underside is an amazing purple color. I tried to find information regarding why this native orchid was named after a cranefly (a fly that looks like a gigantic mosquito) but could find nothing. I did learn however that it is pollinated by moths. See if you can find this plant on your next hike.

 

Keep an eye out for Spring Beauty flowers. They are worth stopping and admiring closely. The flowers grow in this lovely drooping arrangement. They make me think of fairies!

Here is an interesting fact about this plant… The seeds are dispersed by ants.

 

   

There are so many beautiful things to discover when you look around! Can you guess what this is?

We love these dragonfly wings! Go outside and discover something beautiful for yourself today!

 

  

Today is the 50th anniversary of Earth Day!

Make a point to do something environmentally friendly today. Find ways to reduce your use of single use plastic for example. Go here for more ideas http://ow.ly/LyWP50zlFqX

At Annmarie Garden we strive to operate as “green” as possible. We encourage the use of refillable bottles for example. Also, recently we completed our Trex plastic film collection. We collected over 500 pounds of plastic film/bags, thanks to our wonderful community, and sent them for recycling. I took many trips (with our haul) to drop off sites for several months! That 500 pounds was not placed in our landfill and through our efforts, we educated our community to continue to recycle these same items. Who knows how many pounds that will be.

Learn more about what kind of film it recyclable here: http://ow.ly/Xt2250zlFqT

Only add clean plastic from this list because adding things that you wish were recyclable just messes things up.

Remember that reducing the amount that you buy is best but when unavoidable, please make a special effort to recycle.

PS. Here are the stores that collect this kind of plastic and send it to Trex for recycling.

In MARYLAND: Food Lion, Giant Eagle, Giants, Harris Teeter, Kohl’s, Martins, Redner’s Markets, Safeway, Target and Weis

How many plastic bags can you fit in a compact car? Answer: LOTS! Enjoy a scene from our successful Trex Company plastic film recycling collection program!

 

  

 

Nature Notes Crafty Edition: Mini Vases

Get creative and repurpose nail polish bottles into fairy flower vases. Wouldn’t this be a perfect Mother’s Day gift. Bluets and dandelions are perfect little flowers. (Note that when you pic bluet flowers be sure to pinch the stems and not just rip the whole plant out.) What other charming fairy-sized flowers can you find? Be sure to share pictures with us. *Use up most of your nail polish and then let a layer dry on the inside of the bottle. Alternatively, clean out your bottle with nail polish remover. 

 

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