Identifying Spring Tree Blossom
Hello! In this tutorial, we are going to learn how to identify our most common our most commonly found spring tree blossoms. Are you ready? Lets get started!
Apple blossom
Apple flowers are white, with pink bud coverings. They have five full, rounded petals which often overlap.
Blackthorn blossoms
Blackthorn flowers also have five white petals, but they are narrower, more widely spaced and smaller than apple flowers.
Cherry blossom
Cherry tree flowers have five raggedy-ended, rectangular-shaped petals. They are often white, but can also be light pink.
Pear blossom
Pear tree flowers have five, rounded petals and are a similar size to apple, but have a characteristic star-shape in the centre.
Plum blossom
Plum tree flowers also have five, white, narrowly rounded petals, with long, messy, dark-tipped stamens.
Where to find spring tree blossom
I love spotting the first blossom of the spring, sometimes in gardens, sometimes in hedgerows and even through the windows of the train. In fact, spotting blossom is such a beautiful experience that people will gladly travel across the world in search of the best spots to enjoy the spectacle. But, you do not always have to travel far and wide to catch a glimpse and enjoy the smell of delicate, lacy blossom.
Look along any hedgerow from about mid-February and you are sure to spot the small white flowers of the blackthorn dotted delicately along its the branches. While, cherry trees can be found as early as January sporting their flowers in gardens, parks and city streets. (Some ornamental cherries have pompom-like flowers with more than five petals).
As for apple, plums and pears, these are great trees to look out for in orchards as you look out of the train window. But, they can also be found in hedgerows and even in previously inhabited forests. In fact, hedgerows were often deliberately planted with fruit trees to help make the most of their space and feed the local villagers a long time ago, so make great foraging locations.
Other blossoms to look out for
In addition to the flowers mentioned, you can also look out for forsythia and flowering current. Forsythia is most often found in parks and gardens and can be identified by their bright, yellow flowers, which grow all along the branches. While flowering current can has dangly clusters of small, bright pink flowers that can also be smelled from a distance. (Some people describe the smell as cat wee, but… I don’t think its that bad… I shall let you decide!)
Summary
Well, there we go! I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and have a better idea now, of how to identify our most common spring tree blossoms. To be notified about new nature walk tutorials, you can join the Nook by clicking the button below x
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