Identifying Ash and Maple in Winter

— Illustrations and photos from AMC Outdoors Magazine

The Language of Trees: On a Walk with Rutherford Platt – from American Forests Magazine
In the winter of 1929, Rutherford Platt went for a walk in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden with noted botanist, Dr. Arthur Graves. As his mentor began pointing out the buds along the leafless tree branches, Platt was astonished — he had always supposed that buds appeared in spring, just before they bloomed. . . Read ... (more)
Buds: Spanning the Seasons – from The Outside Story (syndicated newspaper column)
The sign in the window, which read, “Clearance! Hats and Gloves 50% off,” puzzled me. Snowflakes swirled on gusty winds. The bitter cold stung my fingertips—I wondered if I should buy warmer gloves while I had the chance. Clearance? Temperatures hadn’t climbed above freezing for days . . . Read the Article (more)
The Language of Bark – from American Forests
I spot the neon-orange flag, unmistakable among the more earthly hues of October leaves, and crash through the underbrush to reach it. I quickly begin cataloguing the surrounding trees. On a low-hanging branch, I find familiar looking needles and record eastern hemlock on my data sheet. I peer up through binoculars to recognize the leaves ... (more)