The Piedmont Master Gardeners provide an excellent source of information on the natural history of my new home. But even with expert help, it’s difficult to understand something as complex as the ecology of a region.
I’m muddled by the red maples here.
Here’s what the Master Gardeners say about Acer rubrum:
Clusters of small, red buds and red flowers appear on the tree in early spring (March/April) before the leaves appear.
I noticed one tree in bloom on Jan. 29, soon after a hard freeze. Since then, other maples have exploded into color. In places, the woods are dazzling.
I don’t know what to make of this place.
To be fair, Texas is just as confusing. A year ago, I was thinking about the garden in San Antonio. It was 80 in the daytime and 60s at night. But Texas is the kind of place that can bake one week and freeze the next. Last week’s ice storm was spectacular but not unusual.
In Texas, the old timers watched the old mesquite trees. The young ’uns — meaning young mesquites — can be fooled, the old folks said. But the old mesquite cannot. When they start to put out leaves, it’s safe to plant.
• Sources: The Piedmont Master Gardeners are at https://piedmontmastergardeners.org/
If the advice on gardening in Texas sounds familiar, see “They watched the old mesquite,” Feb. 22, 2022.
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