After describing last week’s successful Christmas Bird Count, John shared his tips for identifying winter trees.
Though most deciduous trees have been bare-branched for over a month, a few still cling to their leaves, catching our attention. Among them are the red oaks and the ironwoods. Ironwoods (also called hop-hornbeams) are easy to spot thanks to their smaller stature, golden-tan leaves, and unique bark, which forms long, spiraling strips.
The red oaks, including northern red oaks and pin oaks, also retain their leaves through winter. You can distinguish a red oak from a white oak by the pointed tips of the leaves – white oak leaves have rounded tips (and tend to lose their leaves in winter).
Distinguishing between the two red oaks takes a closer look. Pin oaks have deeply cut leaves with large, dramatic sinuses (the gaps between the lobes), while northern red oak leaves are less deeply lobed. Keep in mind, though, that red oaks like to hybridize, so you might come across leaves that don’t quite fit neatly into either category – nature likes to keep us on our toes!
Even without leaves, some trees offer clues for identification. Basswoods and red elderberries make winter walks more colorful with their large, vibrantly colored buds. Basswoods flaunt bright red buds, while red elderberries—ironically named—show off striking purple ones.
If you’re strolling through the woods and manage to ID some of these winter trees, give yourself a high five for botanical brilliance!
Topics
- Introduction (0:00-0:24)
- Snow, rain, and first sub-zero temps (0:24-2:37)
- Christmas Bird Count (2:37-3:50)
- Snowflies (3:50-5:32)
- Spotted knapweed (5:32-6:52)
- Red elderberry and basswood buds (6:52-7:49)
- Identifying oak species (7:49-9:17)
- Rock fern, also known as the common polypody (9:17-12:00)
- Conclusion (12:00-13:11)
What have you seen out there? Let us know: email us at comments@kaxe.org or text us at 218-326-1234.
That does it for this week! For more phenology, <b>subscribe</b> to our Season Watch Newsletter or visit the Season Watch Facebook page.
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dleaon1/iNaturalistDuring the Phenology Report for the week of April 29, Staff Phenologist John Latimer covers bud break, incoming and outgoing birds, eagles nesting and more. -
Lorie Shaull/KAXEIn spring, eggs have been collected at Cut Foot Sioux walleye spawning site in Deer River, MN, since the 1920s. Fertilized eggs are transported throughout the state.
Funding for this project was provided by the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund as recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR).
