Doors

Dawn Redwood

The dawn redwood, or Metasequoia, is dropping its leaves.

Golden Rain Tree

The yellow clusters of Koelreuteria flowers gave way in the summer to balloon-like green pods...




which all turned brown a couple weeks ago.

Persimmon

The persimmon in bloom.

Pear

Pears are in the genus Pyrus. The pears we eat come from trees in this genus, but most of the pear trees planted along streets and in gardens are just decorative. The fruit they make is very small and probably not very tasty.

Stinkier than a ginkgo? I'm not sure which tree's scent is more repulsive. The pear has deceiving looks. These globular panicles of white flowers draw you towards the trees, promising beauty and lightness... and then the stench hits you.

I like the contrast of the immature purple anthers against the white petals.

Sedum

I was a little surprised to see this sedum. I usually think of succulents as being warm-climate plants, but this sedum is cold hardy. It was growing on both sides of a headstone. This discovery led me to do some reading, and I've learned that some sedum are cold hardy to 30 below zero!

move over, liberty bell

Forever stamps went evergreen this winter. Clockwise from the top left, they are ponderosa pine, eastern red cedar, blue spruce, and balsam fir. I'm not sure if we have a ponderosa pine in Green-Wood, but the three other species are represented in the cemetery.

Spring is here...

After a long hiatus (involving a long trip to Houston and several more months of living a semi-nomadic lifestyle in Brooklyn), it's time to dust off the cobwebs and get back to Green-Wood Trees.

Spring is just about here. The snowdrops were starting to bloom last week.

Leaves were no obstacle for the snowdrops. The shoots poked holes right through them.



Daffodils, scilla, camelias, and even a cherry tree were also in bloom.