Curious about trees and how they know...

gwstang · Apr 30, 2017

...that winter is over? It seems the fruit trees bloom too early and get nipped... And I mean "bud nipping" and it hurts the peach farmers or vineyard folks. I have two trees that never get fooled by mother nature.....can you guess what they are?

Pecan trees. They will not leaf out until winter is over. They are the last trees to put out leafs. In many years, they have never been wrong....at least down here in central Alabama. Just wondering if the folks up north have any particular tell tale tree that isn't fooled until there are X number of warm days in their temperature climate to bud?

David G · Apr 30, 2017

It is in their DNA, the cells look for patterns of heat and sunlight.

gwstang · Apr 30, 2017

That is very cool. I'm always interested in species and how interrelated all the life on the earth is. These things amaze me. I am wondering about way up north like Minnesota or Canada gives the real sign of spring.

pete black · Apr 30, 2017

Way up north, in N. Al. that is, i
have a hickory tree that is just now
blooming and no leaves. Every year it
is the last to leaf out and the last
to change colors.

Traditional Farmer · Apr 30, 2017

Could be the length of daylight.Interesting study I read once some type tree would secrete something to repel an insect that attacked it and trees on the other side of the forest
would start secreting the chemical even though they hadn't been attacked yet.A whole lot about nature isn't known to man that's for sure.

mj · Apr 30, 2017

(quoted from post at 19:59:58 04/30/17) ...that winter is over? It seems the fruit trees bloom too early and get nipped... And I mean "bud nipping" and it hurts the peach farmers or vineyard folks. I have two trees that never get fooled by mother nature.....can you guess what they are?

No, I won't hazard a guess, I don't even know what part of the country you're talking about. One thing that I've noticed about my area is that the cottonwood trees have mostly leafed out and they are,usually, the last to do so, while the chinese elms have not and they are usually among the first to get leaves. What does this mean? Only time will tell, I reckon! :roll:

Pecan trees. They will not leaf out until winter is over. They are the last trees to put out leafs. In many years, they have never been wrong....at least down here in central Alabama. Just wondering if the folks up north have any particular tell tale tree that isn't fooled until there are X number of warm days in their temperature climate to bud?

kcm.MN · Apr 30, 2017

One thing I find interesting in my area is, the Quaking Aspen (commonly called Popple) will all bud out about the same time, yet in the Fall they will change colors at very different rates. Doesn't seem to make a difference what size they are, either.

RBoots · Apr 30, 2017

The thornapple trees in my yard (MI) are
always first to get buds and leaves. And
also first to lose them, mid September, way
before any others. Now it seems to me that
the big ugly Chinese elm in my yard takes
forever to get leaves going, and also is one
of the last in my yard to lose them. And, it
seems that almost every one of the leaves
hangs on until we get a wet, rainy day, then
it's almost as if ALL of the leaves fall off
at one time. Go to bed with it rainy and
windy, lots of leaves. Wake up, few left on
the tree, most are on the ground. The black
oak trees at dad's seem to have leaves
almost all winter, just a few falling here
and there, even leaves on top of the snow a
lot of times. I always joked with dad that
the leaves hung on until the new leaves in
spring pushed them off.

gwstang · Apr 30, 2017

I mention where I am, easy to miss as I do it too sometimes...lol

"at least down here in central Alabama"

mj · Apr 30, 2017

(quoted from post at 21:01:15 04/30/17)
I mention where I am, easy to miss as I do it too sometimes...lol

"at least down here in central Alabama"

Yep- I sure enough missed that one!

redforlife · Apr 30, 2017

North east Kansas, I have a pear, peach, and apple. The peach tree is most vulnerable to a late frost. The pear
tree is the least vulnerable to a late frost.

fixerupper · Apr 30, 2017

I have heard the length of the day has an affect on the tree. Here in Iowa I sometimes wonder if soil temperature has an effect. When the soil is thawed out the sap starts running up from the roots and the tree wakes up. We had some trees budding in February, probably because the ground thawed. Around here the mulberry seems to be the last to leaf out in the spring. Oaks and ash trees are late too.

js305 · Apr 30, 2017

Mesquite trees never get caught by a late freeze. At least the ones on my property are always the last to bud out and have leaves. I have one that is 40 years old that is a good indicator that we will not have another freeze.

Hoenes · Apr 30, 2017

Trees are smart. I saw on PBS that oak trees only produce acorns every other
year to control squirrel populations.

Hoenes · Apr 30, 2017

Trees are smart. I saw on PBS that oak trees only produce acorns every other
year to control squirrel populations. (How do it know?)

2x4 · Apr 30, 2017

Black Walnut: last to get leaves & first to lose'em.

rlp in Co. · May 1, 2017

Here in Colorado it is very difficult to grow fruit
trees. They often get the blooms frozen. I was
reading the replys about the light being a factor in
how soon they put on leaves. I wonder if you
covered them with black plastic, that might hold
them back till the danger of freeze is past.

kcm.MN · May 1, 2017

Well, I must certainly attest that I don't know a lot about the growing of trees or how they know when to bud out, but I have to think that they are all variable in the same sense that various species of corn grow at different rates, as do tomatoes and all other veggies. Some trees like full sun while others don't. Some like certain soils. Around here, only trees that can grow are those that can tolerate continuously wet ground. So I would think each specie of tree would have its own set of variables for how long it has leaves according to ground temp, air temp, amount and intensity of sunlight, and amount of available water. Have heard it said many times that trees talk. Well, then they must also listen, including listening to nature around them.

One thing I find interesting about the popple up here (Quaking Aspen) is that many will bear buds throughout the winter season. We regularly see the Ruffed Grouse up in the trees, sometimes for pretty much the entire day. Sometimes they just sit there, but other times they're going all around eating new buds - most of which in winter you can't see without binoculars.

Blackhole49 · May 1, 2017

I'll second this. At my house by a mile.

steve706 · May 1, 2017

I have a magnolia that is super sensitive to heat and light. It's general flowering time is mid may, but if there is a week in late winter or early
spring, it's buds will open and flower even if snow is still on the ground.

teddy52food · May 1, 2017

In mid Mn. the basswood trees bloom around the 4 th of July. The bees like them & make honey big time from then on.

cjunrau · May 1, 2017

0ld timmers always said when the oak tree leaf is the size of a dime you better have your seed in the ground. as a rule of thumb poplar and maple will often get there leaves frozen. in 45 years only sean it once on oak trees. mid Manitoba

Hoenes · May 1, 2017

I've also heard that when the pin oak leaves are as big as a squirrel's ear, morel mushrooms can be found.

showcrop · May 2, 2017

I have a book that tells all about it. It is kind of old school, it was written a long time ago.

Curious about trees and how they know...

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