Frozen and Fresh

Like so much of the rest of North America, Missouri faced a late-season freeze after a mild February and March. A number of of the trees brought out their flowers and leaves early, and it turned out to be too early.

The frost-blighted leaves above are still hanging from a pignut hickory tree in the western end of Roundrock. There were examples like this all around. Blighted by the unexpected cold, these overachievers paid a price. (I have a couple of trees in my suburban yard — a gingko and a river birch — that took a hard hit. They are only now starting to bring out some tentative leaves again.)

I’m told that this late freeze means a reduction in the acorn and nut crop this fall, but I’m not sure I think that. Don’t acorns take a few years to develop, at least on most oaks? Well, we’ll see what happens.

Here is another scene nearby. This is also a pignut hickory, and these leaflets look happy and healthy, soaking up the sunshine on that warm April day when we were there. A native tree in its native ground will cope. I can still take cheer from it though.

Missouri calendar:

• Blackberry winter; a cold spell may occur, freezing blackberry blooms.

Posted by: Roundrockjournal    Source