Dogwood Trees Bloom After Serviceberries

The flowers and trees seem to still be ahead of schedule this year. The very warm start to Spring that we experienced must have really pushed them hard. Plants that are usually May-flowering were already going strong and maybe three weeks ahead of “normal”.

In the last two weeks of April the lilacs were blooming in their purple and white. Dogwood and Redbud trees had very long bloom times this year. About a week’s worth of blooms seems typical due to the usual rainy and windy spring weather that knocks down blossoms and petals, but this year so far has been a little different.

Dogwood flower with paired leaves in the background.
Dogwood flower with paired leaves in the background. Photo taken 15 Apr 2012.
White dogwood flower closeup.
White dogwood flower closeup. Photo taken 15 Apr 2012.
Small dogwood tree under oak.
Small dogwood tree under oak. Photo taken 15 April 2012.

Dogwood trees were exceptional this year and they bloomed for two weeks or longer. From about the 10th of April through the end of the month we saw the pretty four-petaled tree flowers all over central Pennsylvania.

Flowers bloom at set times of the year according to temperature and daylight conditions. It may be practical to remember when a certain flower blooms according to what the general population is doing and not merely using the calendar.

Following the calendar for “normal” bloom times this year would have resulted in us missing a lot of flowers blooming. Most plants started their spring development about three weeks earlier than normal in 2012, so thinking about relative bloom times would be more fruitful.

For example, two early Spring white-flowering trees may be confused when seen at a distance. (OK, if you can recognize the shapes or outlines of these trees, it’s a moot point.) The example below is about relative bloom times, not identifying spring-blooming trees in themselves.

Two dogwood trees bloom among the hardwood trees developing their leaves.
Two dogwood trees bloom among the hardwood trees developing their leaves. Photo taken 28 April 2012.

Dogwood trees blossom a little later than serviceberry trees. Serviceberries bloom when practically no leaves are on the trees. It doesn’t matter if all the trees, in general, are leafing-in early or late compared to the average bloom times. Dogwoods bloom when most of the hardwood trees have at least some leaves developed, and they may continue to bloom until the leaves are about 50% of their full-grown size. Dogwood trees flower after the serviceberry blossoms have blown away.

Picking up clues from the surrounding vegetation can help us learn about the flowering times of certain plants. Remember that each plant is part of a community, and it’s the relationships of all the inhabitants of the community that make it work.

Serviceberry Trees Bloom at Woods Edge

Serviceberry trees are one of the first flowering trees in North America. Their white flowers shine bright from the edge of the woods. When I see these flowering trees I know its time to look for Spring Ephemeral flowers.

(Click any photo to see a larger image.)

Flowering serviceberry tree at the edge of a field.
Flowering serviceberry tree in a stand of trees at the edge of a field. Photo taken 5 April 2012.
Serviceberry tree flowering among maples and oaks just leafing out.
Serviceberry tree flowering among maples and oaks just leafing out. Photo taken 5 April 2012.
Flowering serviceberry trees along a Pennsylvania country road.
Flowering serviceberry trees along a Pennsylvania country road. Photo taken 5 April 2012.

Serviceberries, also known as Juneberries, will be in leaf a couple of weeks after their white blooms are in view. The flowers develop into small berries that ripen in June, hence the name Juneberry.

The tree canopy is coming in fast now that it’s the third week of April. We are surrounded by trees where we live in the middle of the woods and right about now the trees seem to be closing in on us. During the winter we can see far into the woods, but now with the greenery growing bigger the view is getting blocked near the forest edge.

Heard baby bluebirds in their bird house yesterday. The parents have been frantically flying to and fro feeding the little guys peeping in there. Their activity must have caught the eye of a hawk because I saw one on the ground about five feet from the birdhouse. Didn’t see the strike to know if the broad-winged hawk got a bluebird for lunch, but he flew away without anything in his talons.

Bluets, violets and fairy wings continued to be beautiful this past week. The flowering trees were impressive everywhere! Pink and white dogwoods, ornamental flowering cherries and crabapples, light purple redbuds, and even the yellow balls of sassafras flowers brought many smiles this past week.