I don’t see many American bittersweet vines (Celastrus scandens), so I was happy to see this one. The invasive Oriental bittersweet is far more common in this area and is quickly outpacing the natives, mainly because its berries are more enticing to birds and its seeds germinate much faster. The easiest way to tell American bittersweet from Oriental is by the location of the berries on the vine; American bittersweet berries grow on the ends of the vines and Oriental bittersweet berries grow all along them. While both vines climb trees and shrubs, American bittersweet is less likely to strangle its host like Oriental bittersweet will.
I’ve been seeing these very small lichens all over the trees and even though they all seem to be fruiting at the moment, I’ve struggled with their identity. With the help of the book Lichens of North America I think I can finally say that they are black eyed rosette lichens (Physcia phaea). At least with about 80% certainty. They are very common; in fact they are so common that they are one of those things that you see so much of, you stop paying attention. This winter I noticed that they all had fruiting bodies (Apothecia), which are the tiny black disks with gray margins, and that got me interested because I had never seen them produce spores. Why so many lichens do it in winter is still a mystery to me.
This beard lichen and the dead tree it was on looked so ancient that I had to get a photo. ‘Methuselah’ was what I thought as I clicked the shutter. I think this is boreal oak moss (Evernia mesomorpha) because of its antler like shape and because of the way that it looks like it has been here since the dawn of time.
According to many scientists it might be possible, because many believe that lichens never really die. Even if you chop one to pieces the pieces just make more lichens. They have even survived 2 weeks in the vacuum of space and grew on like nothing had ever happened when they returned to earth. Some believe that lichens have the best chance of any earth bound life form of colonizing other planets.
I took a few shots of these bright red highbush blueberry buds (Vaccinium corymbosum) and was surprised when I saw what the camera did to the shadows on the snow in the background. They came out looking like studio portraits, and very patriotic ones at that.
I’ve been paying attention this winter to the way the cold can make some lichens change color and how white pine sap turns blue in the cold, but I’ve also noticed that cold also enhances some colors and makes them more vibrant than they are in the warmer months. I know this old eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) well since it grows near my house but, though most hemlocks have a red tint to their bark, I never noticed the deep red on this tree’s bark until this winter even though it must have always been there. Now I’ve got to remember to watch it and see if the color fades as we warm up.
I wanted to visit another eastern hemlock to see if its zig zag scar had changed any since last year. It hadn’t. I never have been able to figure out for sure what would have caused this scar, but it comes right up out of the ground, travels for about 3 feet up the trunk and stops. It’s a very deep scar so the wound was made quite a while ago.
I thought I saw a bird peeking out of this hole in an old white pine but it turned out to be just a clump of leaves and pine needles. But how did those leaves and pine needles get in there? Maybe it’s a woodpecker’s nest.
I don’t know if a bird or a human planted this old wisteria vine, but it has grown up into the crown of a tree just off the parking lot of an elementary school. It has been there for quite a while and flowers beautifully each year, full of very fragrant white and blue flowers that hang down from the tree and make it look as if the tree is flowering.
It has also grown through the school’s chain link fence; so much so that it’s hard to tell where the vine ends and the fence begins. Of course its new growth sprawls all over the place like wisterias will do, but since the vine isn’t technically on school property there is only so much that can be done. Each year the maintenance people at the school chop off everything they can reach but of course the wisteria just says ‘thank you very much’ to that treatment and grows even more vigorously. It’s hard to win when you’re doing battle with a well-established wisteria.
I stopped to take a photo of the wisteria’s beautiful dark buds, which remind me of those of black ash.
This photo might not look like much to the uninitiated but to the winter weary it’s like a dream come true. Each spring, ever so slowly, the snowbanks begin to retreat back from the road edges and little strips of grass appear and start to green up quickly. Seeing it happen is akin to taking a good dose of spring tonic, and it gives us our second wind.
This is the newfangled way to tap maple trees; at least for smaller operations. The large maple syrup producers have the plastic tubing strung from tree to tree with vacuum pumps at the end that keep the sap moving and literally sucks it out of the trees. The sap should be running this week; it’s getting warm enough now.
I went to the place where skunk cabbages grow but the snow was still too deep to see any. Since they can raise their internal temperature above that of the surrounding air through a process called thermogenesis, I’m sure they are melting the snow around themselves as I write this. If the warm weather keeps up I might see them within a week or so.
I’ve never heard of daffodils having thermogenic capabilities but there they were, coming up through the snow. Maybe they’re in as much of a hurry to see spring as the rest of us are.
It sure is nice to be able to see and smell some dirt again. There are other signs of spring that I couldn’t show here, like the feel of the warm breezes out of the south or the sound of ice falling off the roof and the constant drip of what doesn’t fall. Skunks are just coming out of hibernation and the Boston Red Sox are back on TV playing spring training baseball games, so it really does seem like spring is finally on its way.
Science has never drummed up quite as effective a tranquilizing agent as a sunny spring day. ~W. Earl Hall
Thanks for coming by.
ARE THEY ALL FROM U.S.A.
Yes, I think everything in this post is.
maybe?
Yes, I’m pretty sure that all of the plants in that post are from the US except the daffodils.
maybe
did you know that i’m a kid?12 years old
Yes, I saw that on your blog.
Ah, yes – being able to see the ground at the edge of the pavement! I was just this morning telling my Florida sister-in-law how great it is to see that again. I’ll take my signs of spring this year wherever I find ’em. Thanks for another delightful set of photos.
You’re welcome, and thank you Ellen. Only a true New Englander would get excited about seeing a little mud!
[…] more thing. In his post, “Things I’ve Seen,” the author of NHGardenSolutions, shared a photo of a zigzag scar on an Eastern Hemlock. I was wowed by it–had never noticed […]
I’ve thought of planting American bittersweet but I’m not sure it’s a good vine for the garden. It really has only one season of interest, and the berries are nice but not spectacular. Also, I’m reluctant to plant any vine that can be overwhelming – one reason I don’t plant wisteria. I like trumpet honeysuckle and some wild roses.
It’s not as intrusive as Oriental bittersweet but it will climb anything and once it gets into a tree or shrub it can be a nightmare. I’d only plant it in a garden if I was sure I could prune it every year. Honeysuckle is a good choice and American wisteria isn’t anywhere near as aggressive as the Orientals are. I also like Virginia creeper for its fall color.
Another interesting post, full of discovery.
Are the daffodils on your property or elsewhere, Allen?
So heartening to see them pushing up through the snow. Good for them!
We tapped the maple trees with the old zinc buckets some years, but gee wiz, it takes a lot of sap to get a quart of syrup! do you tap?
And that wisteria blooms. How rewarding. You know about my old wisteria, of course…. it’s forgotten its duty for the last few years, but I keep hoping that maybe this spring….
Thanks!
No, those daffodils are on the local college property and they’re always very early. Mine are still under a foot and a half of snow.
I don’t tap maple trees. Since I was very young I’ve had an intense dislike for the taste of maple flavored anything, including syrup, sugar, and bacon.
You can sometimes shock a wisteria into blooming by root pruning them, which is just a fancy term for plunging a spade in the ground all around it about 4 feet from the trunk. There are other ways to coax them into bloom as well, and you can read about them here: http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/vines/wisteria/wisteria-blooming-problems.htm
Thanks. We’ve tried so many ways, but I am always on the lookout.
Thanks!
Your photos always amaze me. Thanks for sharing.
You’re welcome, and thank you for visiting.
There is so much that is beautiful and interesting in this world to share…The shapes, the interesting color, there is so much to engage the senses.
Thank you Charlie. I agree, but a lot of people don’t see it and that’s why this blog is here.
Your photos remind me of what it usually looks like here this time of year. Well, maybe next year.
I’d be real happy if things got back to normal! The cold has been remarkable this year.
Lovely post! Those highbush blueberry buds are beautiful and that wisteria is amazing the way it has twisted through the wire fence. I am so pleased the temperature is rising at last.
Thank you Clare. I was surprised how beautiful those blueberry buds were myself. I’ve never paid them much attention.
That wisteria always reminds me of a big snake the way it wraps around itself and crawls through the fence.
We’re pretty happy that it’s warming up too! Though winter seemed unusually long the plants are doing almost exactly what they were doing at this time a year ago, so winter wasn’t really any longer than it ever is. It must have been that 6 weeks of shoveling snow and the extreme cold that made it seem so much longer!
Time seems to stand still when you’re not having fun! Those daffodil shoots look quite good to me – it won’t be long til they are flowering. Ours are just starting to come out.
I agree, and it’s hard to find much fun in 6 weeks of shoveling.
In that same bed where the daffodils were there were others that grew taller quicker and paid the price. The cold got them and they were all shriveled. I’m hoping the same doesn’t happen to the ones in the photo but either way, we’ll see daffodils before too long I think.
I hope so.
Impressive daffodils defying the snow. I am very glad that the snow seems to be on the retreat at last but as usual you found very interesting things for us to look at.
Yes, we reached 58 degrees F here today and the snow is melting fast. I wonder how much those daffodils grew today. I’ll have to go see-I wouldn’t be surprised if they added an inch or two of height.
That is warmer than we have had. 50 degrees F has been about our maximum.
Reblogged this on Dawn of Divine Rays and commented:
Thank you, Allen. Namaste
You’re welcome Agnes, and thank you. Have a good week!
Both the wisteria and the blueberry buds with the wonderful blurred backgrounds are frame-worthy! Great job of capturing our slow crawl toward Spring! Love that you find so much to photograph and write about.
Thanks Martha. There’s a lot going on out there right now and before too long it’ll be the busy season for nature bloggers. Spring is always a bit hectic because so much happens in such a short amount of time.
I have seen so many lichen/mosses/unidentified-able plants out here, every time I think of you. There is a blackish lichen or moss growing here. If I can get a good picture of it, I will send it to you. Glad to hear you are seeing signs of spring. Maybe it will actually be spring when I get back.
I’ll bet you do see plenty of unidentifiable plants Laura! I’m sure I’d be wondering what they were too-I went through that when I lived in Florida.
I’d like to see a shot of that dark lichen or moss. It could be a shadow lichen, which is something I’ve been looking for here.
It might be summer when you get back. My thermometer reads 58 degrees right now!
So many beautiful little details and so much to think about! I’ve been wondering if the early daffs and crocuses begin to come up even when they are covered with snow, and now I think they do. Maybe they can sense the longer days under there? I have been looking for skunk cabbages too, although the snow is still quite deep in the swamp. Soon!
Best,
Gabrielle
PS A lovely article about Skunk Cabbage:
http://natureinstitute.org/pub/ic/ic4/skunkcabbage.htm
Thank you Gabrielle. I think the sunshine probably does reach through the snow, but I also think that plants have a built in clock that lets them know when it’s time. Of course, day length does play a big part in it too.
I decided to go for a romp in the snow right to the edge of the swamp where skunk cabbages grow and didn’t see a single one, so I don’t think they have come up yet here.
Thanks for the article. I’ve seen it before and you’re right; it’s very good. Good sketches too!
Do you have flying squirrels? The one picture reminded me of a cavity in the side of a tree. A white-breasted nuthatch started in the hole and quickly backed out. A mad flying squirrel came out, mad at being disturbed. Enjoyed all the pictures. Kathy
Thank you Kathy. I wasn’t sure if we had flying squirrels or not but apparently the northern flying squirrel is found in New England. I happened to pass by that hole again and it didn’t look as if anything had disturbed the material in the entrance, so it could be unused.
In all my years of camping and hiking, I only saw that one after a nuthatch disturbed it. My son and a friend of his camped in the ravine one night and heard the squirrels landing here and there. Keep me posted if you have any luck.
Thanks, I will. They’re so small I wouldn’t doubt that you had only seen one!
They’re being nocturnal, which doesn’t help.
No, I wouldn’t think so. I’ll probably never see one.
There might be one out there that wants to be memorable.
Another thought-provoking set of photos and essay. Thanks.
On Wed, Mar 11, 2015 at 4:12 AM, New Hampshire Garden Solutions wrote:
> New Hampshire Garden Solutions posted: ” I don’t see many American > bittersweet vines (Celastrus scandens), so I was happy to see this one. The > invasive Oriental bittersweet is far more common in this area and is > quickly outpacing the natives, mainly because its berries are more enticing > to bir”
You’re welcome Judy, and thank you.
It’s great to see so many signs of spring!
I think that I have figured out why I don’t see the lichens that you find. We don’t have many rocks here in Michigan, at least southern Michigan, and I’m spending most of my time in younger woods as I look for birds. It’s seldom that I go into the deep, old woods these days. But, I still can’t figure out what the white hair-like fibers are that I see in most of my photos of lichens, I don’t see those in your photos.
I don’t think that woodpeckers bring outside nesting materials into their nests, but I could be wrong. There are dozens of other species of birds from chickadees to bluebirds that re-use woodpecker nests, or any hollow tree that it could be one of those species. Or, it could be a bird or small mammal insulated the hollow spot to use to keep warm over the winter.
Thanks Jerry! You reminded me that I meant to tell you that I didn’t know what those white fibers were either. I’ve never noticed them on a lichen. Could they be some kind of web?
A lot of lichens grow on the bark of young trees but they’re usually small and hard to see. Look for light and dark dime to quarter size spots. Yes, without rocks you lose a lot of lichens!
I don’t know much about what woodpeckers do as far as nesting goes but I’m sure you’re right. The hole was small-about as big as a golf ball-but a lot of birds and critters can fit into a hole that small so it could be just about anybody in there. I’ll have to watch for a while next time I go there.
Yes, spring is coming! I can see grass (meaning, brown grass and mud) in parts of my yard, and the stone walls are peeking through in places. Oh, and I had my first taste of maple sap yesterday. Yahoo!
Thanks Paula. I’m sure many people won’t understand your getting excited over mud, but I sure do! I haven’t had any sap yet but I know it’s flowing. We stayed above freezing over night, so it will really flow and the snow will go fast now. I just hope it doesn’t go too fast!
Lovely scene where the skunk cabbages grow!
Thanks! I agree; that’s a photogenic spot.
Loved your quote, how true. My favourite picture was the wisteria buds, you shot them at just the right angle to make an interesting picture.
Thank you Susan. I thought that quote was very true too. A warm spring day can work like medicine in many ways. I’m glad you like the wisteria buds. I was drawn to their color.
It’s great to see that even New England is starting to display signs of spring, with buds appearing and even a little dirt. , I really like the “studio” shots of the buds and am totally intrigued by the new method of gathering sap, which doesn’t have the charm of the old sap buckets.
Thanks Mike. We had the first above freezing night in a long time last night so the snow is melting fast.
I agree; those new sap buckets might be more sanitary but they just don’t look as “New England” as the old ones. Some people still use the old method and I hope to get a photo in the coming weeks.