Blossom? On trees?

[Louby]

I have noticed past few days the odd tree starting to blossom, I am not sure what sort of tree's they are as I am not good on that stuff, but will get some pics when weather clears up a bit, and maybe you that are in the know can tell me what they are

[Lord of the clouds]

Think about this! Could it not be that the trees aren't getting earlier but that our Calender system is out? We invented the calender system but is it that accurate??

[Osbourne One-Nil]

There are very limited number of flowering shrubs/trees in winter around the UK. There are a few I can think of but don't know the name of. One of the most well known is Western Gorse which is now naturalised.

Viburnum tinus, Prunus subhirtella "Autmnalis", Hamamelis mollis, Viburnum x bodnantense, Jasminum nudiflorum, Mahonia x media blah blah blah - that's enough selection to be quite widespread in domestic situations.

5 years at university well spent if you ask me.

[SP1986]

Think about this! Could it not be that the trees aren't getting earlier but that our Calender system is out? We invented the calender system but is it that accurate??

If that was the case we'd notice the sun coming up higher in January/maybe December. I don't think there's been enough lag between previous years for the Calendar system to be out.

OON - indeed, There arent alot of winter flowers around here, only two species that I can remember

[Rustynailer]

Our Almond( :blush: ) has been flowering as long as we have lived at this house, 3 weeks.

[SP1986]

Our Almond( ) has been flowering as long as we have lived at this house, 3 weeks.

Almond is quite a winter hardy species isn't it? must say havent seen an almond tree before around here. The bay trees that are planted around Wirral in public spaces are flowering though - its a big surprise (the flowering and the public spaces thing!)

[Rustynailer]

Almond is quite a winter hardy species isn't it? must say havent seen an almond tree before around here. The bay trees that are planted around Wirral in public spaces are flowering though - its a big surprise (the flowering and the public spaces thing!)

As a qualified woodland manager and amenity woodland manager I would perhaps be expected to know that, but you know my almond is only about the 10th or so I have ever seen out of mainland Europe So its a species I know little about relatively. They do stand cold, the ones I know of here have taken -10ish in the 90s, but I would be very surprised if any Scots have them.

Bay trees on the otherhand.... Nice in public spaces/gardens etc' but please keep them from our native woodlands

Regards,

Russ

Edited February 29, 2008 by Rustynailer

[SP1986]

As a qualified woodland manager and amenity woodland manager I would perhaps be expected to know that, but you know my almond is only about the 10th or so I have ever seen out of mainland Europe So its a species I know little about relatively. They do stand cold, the ones I know of here have taken -10ish in the 90s, but I would be very surprised if any Scots have them.

Bay trees on the otherhand.... Nice in public spaces/gardens etc' but please keep them from our native woodlands :lol:

Regards,

Russ

I may see about getting an Almond tree for garden use they sound, look quite good.

I don't think Bays could naturalise in our climate so I doubt woodlands would have any problems

[James M]

I have noticed the same here and one large tree I noticed, was covered in white blossom almost like the cherry trees in May.

[Rustynailer]

I don't think Bays could naturalise in our climate so I doubt woodlands would have any problems

Not where you are( shakes head in disgust at how lucky you are ), but down here Bay felling/cutting and poisoning, with an approved biodegradable chemical agent is commonplace in most properly managed woodlands, the seedlings spread very far from the parent trees too. A garden hundreds of yards away usually

They out compete our natives and make a very dark woodland indeed, leading to less young Oaks and other important species. A bit like Sycamore and Rhododendron, changing the ecosystem and putting native wildlife under pressure because, primarily all the food has gone or changed.

(I explained in some depth as a partial explanation could leave me looking like some rural Nazi exterminating things willey-nilley )

Regards,

Russ

[James M]

I'm seeing lots of bushes with yellow blossom, is that Forsythia? don't know whether that's early or not.

Edited March 2, 2008 by James M

[SnowBear]

Hmm, could be, or Jasmin?

Loads of Hawthorn flowering here.

[James M]

Hmm, could be, or Jasmin?

Loads of Hawthorn flowering here.

Are you sure about Hawthorn? they normally flower May-June, what about Blackthorn?

Edited March 2, 2008 by James M

[Osbourne One-Nil]

It'll be Blackthorn...almost certainly.

[SnowBear]

Ahhh, yes, sorry, always get those two mixed up, Blackthorn, I have a hawthorn hedge in the front garden and that is still sound asleep lol

[Somerset Squall]

I'm seeing lots of bushes with yellow blossom, is that Forsythia? don't know whether that's early or not.

Yep, that'll be Forsythia. I don't think it's early, about right actually. In fact, if the weather is mild enough and frost free they sometimes are fooled to produce flowers a lot earlier- mine had a couple flowers on it on January but they soon get hit back by frost. Mine is now properly coming into blossom which is why I hope we don't get an extended period of frost (it can probably cope with what's coming up) otherwise the bloom would be ruined. Here's a pic of my Forsythia last year:

[James M]

Yep, that'll be Forsythia. I don't think it's early, about right actually. In fact, if the weather is mild enough and frost free they sometimes are fooled to produce flowers a lot earlier- mine had a couple flowers on it on January but they soon get hit back by frost. Mine is now properly coming into blossom which is why I hope we don't get an extended period of frost (it can probably cope with what's coming up) otherwise the bloom would be ruined. Here's a pic of my Forsythia last year:

Yes thats it thanks Somerset Squall.

[SP1986]

Not where you are( shakes head in disgust at how lucky you are :huh: ), but down here Bay felling/cutting and poisoning, with an approved biodegradable chemical agent is commonplace in most properly managed woodlands, the seedlings spread very far from the parent trees too. A garden hundreds of yards away usually :lol:

They out compete our natives and make a very dark woodland indeed, leading to less young Oaks and other important species. A bit like Sycamore and Rhododendron, changing the ecosystem and putting native wildlife under pressure because, primarily all the food has gone or changed.

(I explained in some depth as a partial explanation could leave me looking like some rural Nazi exterminating things willey-nilley :huh: )

Regards,

Russ

There might be naturalised Bay trees around here but I haven't spotted them yet.

Bamboo is awful for naturalising here travels a long way and colonises anywhere!

The surprise of the day though is that there is a Fatsia japonica naturalised on the edge of a Wirral woodland area in Heswall. Apparently there arent any known naturalised species in the UK, this may indeed be the first one, but when they become naturalised like all Japanese/Chinese plants they become a formidable weed.

[Schnee]

I noticed something strange today.

Apart from allot of trees still without leaves, there's a large number with dead leaves on and there's still leaves in the verges in places.

It seems the bushes have woken up but the larger trees have not yet. Is this normal?

[davehsug]

Similar here Stelmer. The blossom seems particularly late this year & the trees around me are far from leafing. Maybe the warmer weather to come will see a rapid spurt.

Dave

[Schnee]

Hope so.

It looks weird with most of the big trees still bare but brambles and hedge growth looking lush and green.

[Evening thunder]

I noticed today in a local town there was a tree completely thick with white blossom. Also most of the big trees seem to be coming into leaf down here now, although there are still some bare ones like large ash trees. Smaller trees/hedges are in leaf quite well now.

[Somerset Squall]

A bit of a mix around here. Everything is at least in partial leaf except the ash which are all bald (apart from the smallest speciemens), the ash isn't usually fully in leaf by this time of year but usually some of them have started. On observation then the ash may be a little late. However, beech seems to be early, a beech over the road from me always begins to leaf up in the second week of May (this includes last year despite the warm April), but this year leaves began to appear around April 25th and it is now in full leaf a week or so early. Surprising given how much colder this April was compared to last. Perhaps because it was wetter this year? The hawthorn is coming into flower, exactly on time.

Yeah, so here not as extreme as what you guys are reporting. Just the ashes late really here.

I noticed today in a local town there was a tree completely thick with white blossom. Also most of the big trees seem to be coming into leaf down here now, although there are still some bare ones like large ash trees. Smaller trees/hedges are in leaf quite well now.

Similar to here then. Cherry trees are in blossom now, along with some hawthorn, was it one of those?

[Turnedoutniceagain]

Rather than kick-off a fresh post, I'll ressurect this fella.

Moving on from Blossom, my Hazel tree is full of nuts AND catkins at the same time, they seem to have popped out in the last week or so.

Anyone else have "seasonally confused" trees ??

[SP1986]

we have reflowering rhododendron and magnolia. Although thegreat thing about growing exotic plants is that theyre never confused