Heading into Centennial for this assignment, was much more of a trek than I realized. Evidence of the past snows and frosts covered the paths to my spot, which was once more quite a hike. My spot is mostly populated by conifers like Eastern Hemlocks, Eastern White pines and similar trees. Therefore, it made this assignment a little difficult when looking for these deciduous trees. However, on the way to my spot I was able to spot some baby American beeches!
That’s what’s pictured in my iNaturalist post. Within a conifer stand, there were a few baby beeches littered about. Most likely from the mature Beeches dotted within the stand. These trees were small enough where I could take a look at the buds, which I included on my post. There were no signs of flowering from the buds. But the identification process was made easier by the presence of some shriveled leaves that were holding on despite the harsh colds and strong winds. I assume there had been some protection from the surrounding canopy from theses winds. However, the buds were also identifiable by the long slender and light brown scale like tip. What did throw me off was that the bark of the trees was not as smooth as what I perceived American Beech to have.