Spring is all around us. Green is the color of the month. Even with the pollen, everyone seems to want to get outside and enjoy the warmth. Many of my northern friends are still dealing with an occasional snowfall and cabin fever, but for the majority of the county Spring has sprung! We are blessed in the Deep South with a long growing season. In Mobile and Dothan, some winters only last a few weeks or a month, but here in Birmingham we are assured of cold, garden sleeping weather from Veteran’s Day until Tax Day.
As a forester, I work through the cold, and heat, the sunshine and rain. My patients, our trees, have just wakened from their long winter’s nap. Late last fall the trees knew that the next few months of sunshine would be at a minimum, so they dropped their leaves, and prepared to hunker down for a few months sleep. After a couple of months, late in January, I can see some activity in the woods. First the maples begin to redden up. Their flowers emerge sending its pollen skyward. Maples are our first trees to awaken, just as they are up North. Those who love real maple syrup on their pancakes can thank the Sugar Maples of the Northeast and Lake States and the men and women who tap these trees from February to April.
After the maples the elms begin to awaken from winter’s slumber, soon green ash joins the chorus too. In March a whole host of trees give us a Good Morning shout casting their yellow pollen on everything below. Southern pines, red and white oaks, hickories, and cherries have all in one accord made the hills alive with the sounds of spring. You may have noticed with the dance of the trees, insects have also awakened. The other day while walking through a forest, I had to stop. I heard the sound as if it were raining. Something was dropping out of the top of the trees. As I stood and listened, I remembered what I was hearing – insect droppings were cascading throughout the forest enriching the forest floor. Over the last week I noticed the pollen backing off, as the trees are filling out their leaves. As I continue to observe the trees, I am waiting for the pecan trees to add their voice to the symphony. Finally the tupelos, sourwood, and American basswood will bloom, giving our friendly neighborhood honey bees a needed drink.
I love watching spring unfold. The two transition seasons; spring and autumn, move so fast, and with precision. They are totally amazing. I trust that as you work the soil in your garden or flower-bed, you will look up and be dazzled by the dance of waking trees.
Garden Talk is written by Andrew J. Baril of the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, C. Beaty Hanna Horticulture & Environmental Center, which is based at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. This column includes research-based information from land-grant universities around the country, including Alabama A&M and Auburn Universities. Email questions to ajb0012@auburn.edu, or call 205 879-6964.
The Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Alabama A&M and Auburn Universities), is an equal opportunity employer and educator. Everyone is welcome!