Buckeye trees not leafing out yet

Buckeye trees (Aesculus glabra) are one of the first trees to leaf out in the spring.  Here at Clegg Garden they are not yet showing the leaves as of March 29, 2015.  The buckeye tree has a distinctive smooth grey bark.

Link to previous post on buckeye in spring:

Here a terminal bud of the buckeye tree. 

Link to Aesculus glabra:

Link to Aesculus glabra:

Daffodil leaves emerging but still no flowers

Daffodils have been planted years ago near the house at Clegg Garden.  Here they are emerging from the ground but still not flowering yet.  March 29, 2015.

Black locust

Black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia).  Black locust is native to North America but probably was not a part of the original forest in this area. 

A view of the upper branches of the black locust tree shown in the first photo.  Photos taken March 24, 2015.

Link to Robinia pseudoacacia:

Link to Robinia pseudoacacia:

Hepatica is just beginning to flower

Hepatica is just beginning to flower at Clegg Garden.  I could only find a couple plants like this with the flower just barely starting to show.  Photo taken March 24, 2015.

Link to last month's post on Hepatica:

Botanists currently recognize the scientific name of this plant as Anemone acutiloba.  Here is a link to the FNA treatment of Anemone acutiloba:

Squill

Squill is flowering at Clegg Garden.  The scientific name is Scilla.  Squill is not native to Indiana and like the winter aconite, was planted here years ago to provide some flowers in early spring.  Photo taken March 24, 2015.  The winter aconite is in full bloom at Clegg, and one can see it was planted extensively in the eastern part of the park.

Link to squill (Scilla sp.):

Winter aconite

Winter aconite (Eranthis) is starting to bloom at Clegg Garden.  Here are a few flowers found behind the garage at the front entrance to the park.  You can also find some winter aconite on the grounds just west of the NICHES headquarters building.  Winter aconite is not a native plant but it was planted here as part of Clegg Garden several years ago.

Photo taken March 11, 2015.  I looked for the hepatica plants in the park and found none flowering yet.

Link to previous post on winter aconite:

Link to previous post on winter aconite:

Link to previous post on winter aconite:

Link to previous post on winter aconite:

Sugar maple

A view of the trunk and bark of the sugar maple (Acer saccharum).  Near the NICHES headquarters.

A view looking up at the top of the same sugar maple tree in the first photo.  Photos taken March 8, 2015.

Link to Acer saccharum:

Bald eagle

A mature bald eagle was flying high over Clegg Garden today (Mar. 8, 2015 about 3:04 pm.)  It circled around to the east and I lost sight of it.  Too high to get a good photo.

Link to bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus):

Microclimate depends on topography

Warmer air above the freezing point and a sunny day melts the snow.  Looking north, the west-facing side of the hill catches the afternoon sun and the east-facing side of the hill still is snow-covered, demonstrating different microclimates on the property.

Photo taken Mar. 8, 2015.

Link to microclimate:

Shagbark Hickory

Shagbark hickory (Carya ovata) has bark that peels away from the trunk of the mature tree in distinctive shaggy strips.  This shagbark hickory is along the trail that leads to the overlook over the Wildcat Creek.

Photo taken Mar. 6, 2015.

Link to Carya ovata:

Bitternut hickory

Views of the trunk and bark of three different bitternut hickory trees (Carya cordiformis) in the same general area at Clegg Garden.  Bitternut hickory has a distinctive sulfur-yellow winter bud but I couldn't get a good photo of the buds here.

Photos taken Mar. 6, 2015.

Link to Carya cordiformis:

White oak

White oak (Quercus alba) at Clegg Garden.  The NICHES headquarters building in the background.

A look up at the top of the same white oak.  Often the brown dead leaves remain on oak trees throughout the winter.

Link to Quercus alba:

Deer scat

Deer scat on the snow at Clegg Garden.  With a track from the deer's hoof. Deer in Indiana is white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus).  Clegg Garden is too small an acreage for a deer to spend all its time in and the deer roam freely into and out of the park.

Photo taken Mar. 4, 2015.

Link to Odocoileus virginianus:

Link to more about deer scat:

Basswood

Basswood tree (Tilia americana), along a trail at Clegg Garden.  The NICHES headquarters is visible at the high ground in the background.  Photo taken Feb. 23, 2015.

Basswood must have been a popular tree for planting along Lafayette streets in the early part of the 20th century as you can find several quite large basswood trees along the street in older parts of Lafayette.

A typical habit of basswood is for the plant to send up shoots at the base of large trunks, so it's common to find a basswood tree with a shrublike growth at the foot of the tree trunk.

Link to Tilia americana: