THE TREE #7

This is the seventh posting in the series “THE TREE” which follows the life of a special Honey Locust tree in the Gardens at Waters East.  If you have not read the first posting, it might be most helpful for you to do that.  Go to the archives in this Blog and check out the posting – Beginnings - found on March 7, 2014.  Reading this short introduction will put this tree, this posting, and future postings in proper perspective.  It will be helpful.

Enjoy your visit to - THE TREE

 The Tree

 looking up - leaf design

 morning fog

here on the shores of Lake Michigan USA

 looking directly at the sun

on the foggy morning

 view near & around the tree

 looking up - once again

 spider web

(you can see the damage done to the tree

from a wind storm three years ago)

 seed pods

As you can see from these photos, the seed pods have now formed.  It is a very distinctive pod, 6 to 8 inches long, flattened, red-brown, leathery pod that becomes dry and twisted late in the year.  The pod contains many oval, dark brown, shiny seeds, 1/3 inch long, maturing in late summer and early fall. 

measured this pod this morning

11 & 7/8 inches

Seed production begins on honey-locust trees at about 10 years and continues until about age 100, with optimum production at about 25-75 years of age.   This tree is now twelve years old.  Some seed usually is produced every year but large crops usually occur every other year. This year there are only a few seeds, but last year there were lots.  The seeds are viable for long periods because of a thick, impermeable seed coat. Under natural conditions, individual seeds become permeable at different periods following maturation so that germination is spread over several years. The seeds are dispersed by birds and mammals, including cattle, which eat the fruits.  In the past buffalo may have been historically important dispersal agents of the seeds. Germinability apparently is enhanced by passage through the digestive tract of animals. Honey-locust also reproduces from stump and root sprouts.  

 coneflower & more at the base

 in the midst of a foggy day

 and one final photo

a 360 panorama with THE TREE at the center

interesting 

If you wish to look at other blogs from around the world which are doing similar monthly tree postings.  click on:   http://looseandleafy.blogspot.co.uk/p/what-is-tree-following-and-list-of-tree.html

NOTE:   Since this Blog is meant to be an accurate journal of the gardens;

no photos are “staged”, “arranged”, or ”photo-shopped” in anyway.

What is posted – is what it here.  It is what it is.

gardensatwaterseast.blogspot.com