Fringe tree

Chionanthus virginicus in bloom on May 31.

Tree Painter Glenn Smith

Meet Glenn Smith, painter of Green-Wood's trees.

Fall Foliage

Get to Green-Wood to check out the fall foliage while the colors are at their brightest.

According to foliage calendars and reports, Brooklyn is supposed to peak around the last week of this month. (Image from Colliding Galaxies.)

Golden Chain Tree

 

Laburnum anagyroides

Chinese fringetree

Chionanthus retusus

Horse Chestnut

Right now, if you went into Green-Wood and looked at a horse chestnut, you'd see branches with big sticky terminal buds. Inside the buds contain the beginnings of the flower panicles you'll see in spring. For more peeks inside a horse chestnut bud, go to the blog "Beyond the Human Eye."

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.

Fall Tree Tour on Sunday, Oct. 24

It's time for fall color. Come along for a tour of Green-Wood's trees from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, October 24th.

The entrance is at 5th Ave. and 25th St. in Brooklyn. We'll meet just inside the Arch (the big brownstone arch) at 2 p.m. and go from there.

Wear comfortable walking shoes, and bring a bottle of water if you think you might need it (there are no drinking fountains along the way). I will try to work in a bathroom break, but I'm still planning the route based on which trees will have the best fall color, so it's not a guarantee. There are bathrooms where we will start and finish the tour, however.

The tour will be $10. Part of that will go to the Historic Fund, which helps maintain the grounds and the lots, and preserves the history of Green-Wood.