Everything in Nature seems to be so sped up this year. I know the winter was mild, but still...
I've done an annual (or nearly annual) post on one of our prettiest native blooming trees, the catalpa. I happened to look at a post from 2019 on that year's bloom. The post is dated June 27, 2019.
In 2017, my post was dated June 22. In 2013, also June 22.
In 2020 (that year we want to forget) the pictures were taken on June 21.
This isn't the only plant that is blooming ahead of time in my Southern Tier of New York garden. I already have one day lily blooming (not the ones you see in commercial landscaping, which are blooming, too) and some others have buds.
Last year I lived in USDA zone 5b. This year it's been upgraded to zone 6a. (The higher the zone number the higher your average winter temperatures are - that's an oversimplification but it will do for my purposes here). How can people deny something is happening?
But back to the early blooming catalpas.
Fast forward to this year, 2024. First, a few facts about these native trees.
This is a native tree (Catalpa speciosa) with beautiful, showy, fragrant blossoms in the late spring/early summer. They can grow upwards of 40 to 60 feet (18.28 meters) tall and make a good shade tree. Their beautiful white flowers make a mess for the homeowner who has to clean them up. If you have to cut one down, they make (I understand) good lumber.
After they bloom, they grow long "beans", which can be upwards of 20 inches (50 cm) long. In winter,these beans are shed. Time for another cleanup.
You'll be cleaning for a long time, too, as
these trees can live as long as 150 years.
Today is June 13. The trees have been blooming since about June 6. They look to be at peak right now.
This first photo was taken near Otsiningo Park in Binghamton, New York on June 7.
Here's another from June 7.
In my neighborhood, I can get closer. Let's look at photos taken June 11.
Let's get even closer.
Finally, I hope this shows the size these trees can get to.
I am llinking with Thursday Tree Love, brought to us by Parul and her blog Happiness and Food.
Love flowers? Join me again Saturday for more flowers at Garden Bloggers Bloom Day.
...in the '60s I went to the University of Georgia to study horticulture. Catalpa was called fish bait tree, huge worms would feed on the leaves and they made great fish bait!
ReplyDeleteVery pretty.
ReplyDeleteBut you’re right, there definitely has been a change…one mild winter is an outlier, repeated mild winters are climate change.
That is a beautiful tree. How odd, how sinister, that the blooming season is starting earlier. I have noticed something similar with our pyracantha.
ReplyDeleteYou are early! My ditch lilies started last week, but the other daylilies have only started two days ago. There are some catalpa trees around town. I'm surprised they are allowed really, they sprout up everywhere from those seeds. "Trash Trees" I've heard them called! Messy.
ReplyDeleteThose flowers are pretty. I can imagine the clean up, though.
ReplyDeleteThe flowers and leaves are so lovely
ReplyDeletePretty tree blooms. Yes, nature is mixed up right now, which turns out to be kind of a scary thing!
ReplyDeleteThere was a catalpa tree just across the road from my family's home where I grew up. I was always fascinated by the blooms and the resultant "beans."
ReplyDeleteI love the flowers on those trees. I don't think we have them here, but it does seem like a lot of things here are blooming earlier than normal, too.
ReplyDeleteSuch beautiful flowers and you are right. I have seen these trees and blooms on your blog before. So glad you joined. Thank you, Alana.
ReplyDeleteThe flowers are really pretty!!! I don't think I have ever seen them before...
ReplyDeleteBeautiful alana, i love the way you have framed the pictures, they look lovely, thanks for sharing:)
ReplyDeleteLove this tree! This looks like a pictures of one of the trees on campus where I work. I'm rarely walking around campus during the summer months, but I happened to be walking early or late June one year (3 or 4+ years ago) and I caught these "blooms." I have them saved in a folder for tree love posts, but I forgot about them until I read your post. Thank you for sharing and for the reminder!
ReplyDeleteGorgeous! Is this the Cigar Tree?
ReplyDelete