Life At A Different Level
I was greeted by a whole new world yesterday, as I hiked up the mountain. I’d been down in Florida and not able to check on things up here for more than a week. When I left, autumn was on the downswing. Now, I am greeted by what looks like a winter landscape. Just browns, blacks, whites, grays and a stray bit of evergreen. This is good! I love to have the seasons change around me, welcoming each one as it approaches.
Bark! Bark!
As winter creeps into our area, it’s time for me to change my focus. From butterflies and insects, to bark and buds.
Hey Bud!
These are the buds of Spicebush, Lindera benzoin. They are out there in the forest, right now, just waiting for spring, to burst into a soft wash of lemon yellow.
Not Chinese Chestnut
The bark of Spicebush puts me in mind of the young branches of Chinese Chestnut, Castanea mollissima, a tree that is often confused with American Chestnut, Castenea dentata. The Chinese Chestnut has lenticels (breathing pores on the bark of trees) that are pronounced and feel like course salt on a pretzel. I think this bark looks like a salted pretzel, like the Chinese Chestnut. This is the bark of Spicebush.
Another Shade Of Gray
Another small tree bark that I am working to get to know is Witch Hazel, Hamamelis virginiana. Both Witch Hazel and Spicebush are small trees or large shrubs that grow in look-alike groupings. I can count on the bark of each, to let me know which I am looking at, during the winter when there are few other clues. Witch Hazel (above) also has visible lenticels, but they are elongated, fewer, and the bark in general has a rosey-gray appearance, while the coloring of the Spicebush bark is more a green-gray.
Subtle Coloring
I look forward to a season of gentle coloring. Almost monotone, like a black and white pen sketch, beautiful in its simplicity.
4 responses to “A Whole New World”
Brenda, did you notice that yourSpicebush has a face? I think he is winking at you, because his right eye is closed. I know he is a male because his nostrils are so far apart.. I enjoy your postings so much.
Hahaha! Lori! I didn’t notice the face until Bill pointed it out to me just a short time ago! I guess I was too wrapped up in the texture of the bark to notice it’s face! So glad you enjoy my posts! I love doing the hiking and writing about the pictures I take!
I have to get out in my garden now and take a much closer look at my Spicebush! They are younger so I haven’t noticed the bark before. I also have a young native Witchhzael nearby the Spicebush, but this summer its leaves turned brown and dried up? The limbs still have “spring” to them so I am waiting before pronouncing dead. I’m not sure what happened. It was doing really well and actually bloomed for the first time last spring. I am so intrigued about the master naturalist program. I will be participating in the master gardening program this winter but would really like to keep the master naturalist program in mind! I had no idea.
Kathy, I am always very hesitant to pronounce any plant truly “gone”! I know that you are going to have a grand time with the master gardeners and perhaps eventually you can take on both the master gardener AND master naturalist programs! Being a master naturalist has opened up a whole new world to me!