springtreesI know nobody besides my mom cares about my tree-speak but I like to talk about my trees so that’s just how it is. This spring I have a few new additions I am excited about, and today i’ll talk about the deciduous ones.

First, I have completed my trifecta of the poplar genus. This includes Quaking Aspen, Bigtooth Aspen, and the Cottonwood. I like these trees because the smooth grey-white bark reminds me of the mountains. Plus, the heart shaped leaves make a nice sound in the wind. The photo is a grove of native cottonwoods I found in the woods behind the house. Being native, they do quite well here. I can’t say the same for the Quaking Aspens; only 1 of the original 13 looks healthy after suffering 3 Missouri summers. Two others are clinging to life, and the rest are dead.

springtrees-2Another tree I am experimenting with is Black Locust. Mainly because they supposedly make nice firewood in a relatively short amount of time, but I also hear the flowers smell really nice. The botanical name is is Robina Pseudoacacia. I would imagine the species portion of the name comes from the fact that its leaves resemble that of an Acacia tree.