A Budding Naturalist

 

A Budding Naturalist

Shared by Rachel Anderson

Naturalist and All Things Bird Enthusiast

February 2021

 

My passion with bird watching started in childhood and a new love of salamanders blossomed in college, but it wasn’t until I began working at Warner Park Nature Center that I discovered a budding interest in trees.

This fascination with trees actually coincided with my growing understanding of what a Naturalist actually is and does.  While naturalists might learn how to identify birds by song or know the life cycle of each species of salamander, actually being a naturalist is more about observing and investigating. It’s about exploring and asking questions. It’s about noticing the details and recording what you see.

So as my naturalist skills grew, I decided to take a closer look at something I was only a little familiar with – trees.

It was the middle of winter when I began, sorting through the twig collections and taking a hand lens with me on hikes.  And this is what I discovered…

Glorious, beautiful, amazing buds!

Clusters of dark buds on a Redbud tree.

 

Bright green Sassafras buds.

  

Light gray fuzzy buds on the Pignut Hickory.

 

 Glorious red globe buds on the Basswood.

 

Huge and stately Yellow Buckeye buds.

 

 Tiny and intricately patterned September Elm buds.

 

The diversity of sizes and shapes is so completely amazing!

As I explore more and more tree buds, I began to wonder and think about many questions.

When and how does the bud actually form?

These amazing structures are on the trees all winter long! At the very end of summer and into fall, the last new leaves start to grow, but then their growth is paused, forming what we call a “bud”. Usually this bud is protected by modified leaves called bud scales that overlap one another in an intricate pattern, keeping out the cold. Other tree buds might have an insulating fuzzy layer as well!

So why do I see two different types of buds on some trees?

Pawpaw fuzzy flower bud. 

Pawpaw paintbrush leaf bud.

On the pawpaw tree, you can see two types of buds. Both have a dark chocolate fuzz covering them, but one is round (the flower bud) and the other is thin and pointy (the leaf bud). 

Is the entire leaf or flower inside that tiny bud?

Whether large or small, each bud has the immature leaves tightly packed inside, like an ornate origami surprise, ready to unfurl as the days lengthen.  In the case of the dogwood tree, the entire flower bloom is contained in this tiny bud.

Do buds change color and shape before they open?  How quickly does a bud open to reveal the leaf/flower?

 

I photographed this bud every day from March 22 to March 29.  By closely observing a bud each day, you might notice it swell and enlarge and the color may appear to change depending on the species.

And my questions keep coming.  On trees that have both flower and leaf buds, do they emerge at the same time?  How long does it take for the emerging leaf to fully form?  Does the timing of bud opening change depending on the weather or location of the tree?

 

So as spring begins, I hope you will join me in the exploration of these fascinating structures! Whether you simply observe, take pictures every day, or journal what you see, I wouldn’t be surprised if you discover something fascinating about the buds in your yard and park.