Let’s get excited people, we’re going to go looking for a tree!
For this prompt, I chose a Northern Red Oak on the outskirts of my phenology spot. I had to search a little farther out than preferable because there was a lack of the desired tree species near the shoreline. However, I did find a hearty-looking hardwood along our path that I thought would do nicely.
Since this tree and I are going to be spending some quality time together over the next couple of weeks, I thought we should get to know each other on a first-name basis. Therefore, I christened my tree by the name of “Evangeline.”
Who are you Evangeline?
At first, Evangeline’s gray mossy made me think that she was some kind of maple, however, I soon noticed that she did not have opposite branching. Additionally, her bark seemed too deeply furrowed for her to be a maple variety.
The ultimate telltale sign that we were dealing with a Northern Red Oak was Evangeline’s buds. On the end of most small twigs, there were clusters of scaly pointed buds, which ultimately disqualified the round-budded White Oak.
Evangeline is a real budding beauty!
Here is a sassy picture of Evangeline!
