The honeysuckle bushes in pink blossoms looks very pretty but Tatarian honeysuckles as well as the Amur and Morrow honeysuckles are non-native plants that are able to out-compete native wildflowers for light and other resources. Bush honeysuckles green up earlier in the spring than most other plants, giving them an advantage over other species.
Tatarian Honeysuckle Blossoms
The recent winds blew most of the apple blossoms off the tree leaving a sea of white on the ground. The apple tree originated in Central Asia, where its wild ancestor, Malus sieversii, is still found today. Apples have been grown for thousands of years in Asia and Europe, and were brought to North America by European colonists. The only apples native to North America are crab apples, which were once called “common apples”.
Apple varieties brought as seed from Europe were spread along Native American trade routes, as well as being cultivated on Colonial farms. An 1845 United States apples nursery catalog sold 350 of the “best” varieties, showing the proliferation of new North American varieties by the early 19th century. There are more than 7,500 known cultivars of apples now.
Apple Blossom
The blooming lilacs are finally filling the air when their wonderful fragrance. There are over two thousand lilac cultivars through the world and they come in white, violet, blue, lilac, pink, magenta and purple. No matter what color, it is just good to see them after a long winter.
Blooming Lilacs
