The last weekend in April is in full swing… can you believe it? May is right around the corner. What are you most looking forward to?
The tree featured in Saturday’s puzzler is Yellow Buckeye, Aesculus lava. Yellow Buckeyes are common in rich cove hardwoods and are distinctive from other trees in having palmately compound leaves, which is to say the leaflets radiate out from a central point, like fingers on your hand. They are among the first to leaf out in the early spring.
North America is home to 5 species of Buckeyes, though here in western NC we have only two–Painted Buckeye and Yellow Buckeye. This is a good thing because it can be challenging to distinguish between Ohio and Yellow Buckeye where their ranges overlap.
While we’re on the subject of plants, let’s do a favorite spring ephemeral. See if you recognize it and have seen it recently on a trail near you–it’s a white flower with an interesting shape and delicate- fern-like looking leaves.