It's time for my monthly report on the Butternut tree I'm following this year. This is turning out to be more challenging that I thought, both because the tree hasn't changed in appearance in 5 months (see last picture below), and because all the branches are too high to get pictures of buds or leaves emerging. I'm not sure I made the best choice!
I've resorted to photographing one of the tree's grandchildren. We have numerous Butternut saplings and seedlings around the yard where squirrels have apparently buried the nuts and they've sprouted. Probably at least 30 young Butternuts on 2 acres. As you can see, the buds on the young one are certainly swelling, and we'll see green leaves by next month.
Butternuts have very obvious large light brown and furry buds, and really obvious bud scars just below each one where last year's leaves were attached. You can see that the leaves emerge alternately on the stem, first on one side, and then on the other, not opposite.
They have a relatively coarse branch and twig structure, and the buds are fat and blunt rather than narrow and sharp. Once they emerge, the leaves will be compound, with numerous little leaflets.
But at the moment, the big tree itself looks about like it's looked since I started in January. In fact it's looked about the same since late last October (except it's now green underneath)! Of course lots is happening inside that bark, but by next month we'll see a big change.
After forgetting entirely last month, I'm posting this early,
and linking to Lucy's Tree Following.
The link actually opens on Thursday.
Some trees bud out faster than others. I'm still seeing trees here waiting to go, and others are leafing out.
ReplyDeleteOkay, we'll look forward to next month's reveal!
ReplyDeleteso beautiful, the bareness of some of the branches and the buds on another...
ReplyDeleteGreat closeup!!
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to next month photo of the tree. : )
It will be really fun to watch. This is fun! :-)
ReplyDeleteI'm sure now that things have warmed up, that tree will change real fast!
ReplyDeleteSome trees do better and faster then others I have noticed here I guess it all depends on mother nature . Nice photos ! Thanks for sharing , Have a god day !
ReplyDeleteThis is fun to do!! I have done it with bud to flower also!!
ReplyDeleteNice macros!
ReplyDeleteWhat very beautiful pictures. And I appreciated the way you draw our attention to different aspects of the twigs.
ReplyDeleteLovely furry brown bud, but you have me puzzled, what is a Butternut tree?
ReplyDeleteWhere I live in southern Quebec, butternuts used to be common. No more, I'm afraid. The ones we still have remain relatively small -- maybe growing to 30 feet. So I was amazed to see an enormous fully leafed-out butternut growing in a small botanical garden in Ferrara, Italy. I'm going to post a photo of it on Facebook, so take a look if you want: siteandinsight or glen villa gardens should take you there.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful image with the bud!
ReplyDelete