I fear this may be the last post this year about things in bloom. I was trekking across a tiny dusting of snow on top of Mt. Abe on Monday after all. There are plenty of things in bloom: asters, Japanese Anemone, still some Black Eyed Susan. But I’m writing about a tree, of sorts, Witch Hazel, Hamamelis virginiana.
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The foliage is peaking now in Middlebury, and it’s pretty spectacular. My prediction was part true-the color is great this year, but the timing seems pretty normal to me. Anyway, I was gone for all of last week (in the Ozarks and Nebraska, where there are spectacular oaks, but, like oaks are wont to do, no pretty fall color, just washed out yellows and muddy browns), so here’s some pictures of plants at my house that are also in nice color on campus.
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The leaves are starting to turn on campus, and one of the first species is also one of my favorites. Black Maple, Acer nigrum, is a tree I didn’t even know about before I began working here.
It’s hard to beat the bright gold color of this tree-in my mind brighter than any self respecting Sugar or Red Maple. It also turns a little sooner than the other trees around it, like it needs to jump ahead of the pack and show off. Fine by me. Continue reading
Here’s some early fall color seen around campus. The smaller trees were all planted last year, and the Katsura is showing some early fall color due to recent excavation nearby. More pictures as things turn.
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My prediction? Well, I’m thinking the leaves are going to be turning early this fall, and I think the colors will be brighter and more spectacular than usual. Here’s why… Continue reading
Starting to feel like fall in the morning, and certain trees are starting to look like fall. Here’s another tree to drop everything to go look at while it is still in full fall color. It’s a Katsura Tree, Cercidiphyllum japonicum. Presumably the leaves smell like cotton candy when they turn and start dropping, but, like those Magic Eye posters, it doesn’t work for me. 
There is a great tree in bloom right now, I suggest dropping everything to go see. It’s the class tree for the class of 1940, planted in front of the Emma Willard House (Admissions). Called a Pagoda Tree, Chinese Scholar Tree, Japanese Pagodatree, the latin name I learned in school was Sophora japonica, but I’ve just learned this has changed to Styphnolobium japonicum. (You’re on your own for pronunciation there) The creamy white flowers are similar to our ubiquitous Black Locust, or to the great Yellowwood. Continue reading
Another tree is in bloom right now, it’s that sweet smell you probably get a hint of once in a while. It’s Littleleaf Linden, Tillia cordata, related to our native Basswood, Tillia americana. Here’s a picture of the bloom.
We’re home to the state’s largest Littleleaf Linden, by Warner Science.
Twice today people came up to me, (speaking English, they were staff, not Language School)(I took Russian in Prep School, forgotten most of it), asking what these particular trees were in bloom on campus. Liriodendron tulipifera, Tuliptree, is flowering all over campus right now.
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Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus, after all, it’s snowing in June. 
Yeah, Lilacs are nice, and the Bridalwreath Spirea was nice for the 3 days it bloomed this spring, but, oh, to have something spectacular bloom in June, when everyone and everything is a little more relaxed, the crazy spring fever starting to abate, now that’s a shrub worth talking about. Continue reading
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