March 23, 2016

Wednesday Flowers: Red Maple

maple flower

Information about Red Maple (Acer rubrum)

Wednesday Vignettes

Wildflower Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

59 comments:

  1. Gorgeous photo, Beth.

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    1. Thanks, Tina. I feel like Maple flowers are underappreciated. They really are quite beautiful. :)

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  2. If you had asked to guess what it was, I would not have known.

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    1. They're hard to see until you get very close. The Red Maples really have fluffy flowers!

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  3. Wow - seen like that, it almost reminds me of a Witch hazel - Diane in particular. Pretty...

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    1. Yes, the blooms do resemble Witch Hazel blooms. The Maple trees look really puffy at this stage, but the blooms are hard to see until you get close. I think Maple flowers are gorgeous and underappreciated.

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  4. I really like maples with red leaves. I see that your already woke up after the winter. Regards.

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    1. This was a Maple tree at the park. I couldn't resist snapping a quick photo of the pretty blooms. Things are waking up here, but we have cold, snowy weather for the next few days. :-(

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  5. Beautiful photo, Beth. Great choice too, no many people take notice of tree flowers.

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    1. Thanks, Tim. I agree: Maple flowers, in particular, are underappreciated, and so pretty.

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    2. After seeing this one, I'll be making the effort to see some this year.

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  6. I love the beauty of the buds on trees. So many people do not even notice the beauty. I always show my boys and remind them to stop, enjoy nature. The flowers of a maple are so interesting.
    Are you receiving snow? I think this Spring storm will miss us.
    Great photo!!
    Carla

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    1. That's good, Carla. It's a wonderful thing to pass your understanding and appreciation of nature on to the next generation. Our forecast is for 1-3 inches of snow, which actually is a good thing to insulate the plants from the cold to follow. :( Hopefully, it will change back to warm very fast!

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  7. The color looks so bright against the gray sky.

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    1. It was a grey day yesterday, but the Red Maples really caught my eye. Maple flowers are so pretty, but underappreciated, I think.

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  8. I love the contrast against the sky, as Shirley mentioned. A wonderful springtime photo of things to come...

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    1. Thanks--yes, definitely a wonderful promise of things to come...

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  9. thank you for the info link Beth as could read up on them too - guess these lovely blooms are the lady in red tree whilst the male trees carry more amber like flowers?
    p.s. they remind me of witch hazel flowers

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    1. Hi Laura: You are welcome. Yes, apparently sometimes the Red Maple trees are male, sometimes female, occasionally a combination. The flowers in this photo are female. Here's a good article about it, too: http://www.backyardbiology.net/Nature_Stories/RedMapleEducation.shtml. I agree: They do resemble Witch Hazel.

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  10. Beautiful Beth. My husband and I have been admiring red maples during walks around our neighborhood.

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    1. Thanks. They are such dramatic, colorful trees, aren't they? It's not until you get close to them in the spring that you see the pretty flowers. :)

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  11. Aren't they simply beautiful. My Japanese maples are blooming too, and they make me smile.~~Dee

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    1. Yes, Maple flowers are so pretty and underrated. I imagine the Japanese Maples are so pretty in your spring garden right now. :)

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  12. Great pic, Beth.

    Maple flowers are a nice harbinger of spring :)

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    1. Thanks, Aaron. Yes, they're an early sign of the good things to come. :)

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  13. Won't be long...provided we get pas winter's last hurrah. Not enjoying the mix these last two days. :-\

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    1. Yesterday was a bummer. How are your plants doing? I lost a few Crocus blooms, but pretty much everything else looks OK. March in Wisconsin--never know what the weather will be like, right?

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  14. Yes, the red maple flowers in spring are wonderful.

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    1. I really like these trees in spring, summer, and fall. The colors are so vibrant. :)

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  15. Lovely picture - I'm sure mine isn't blooming yet, but even if it was, the blooms would be under a layer of ice right now.

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    1. Thanks, Margaret. I don't have a Red Maple--this was taken at the park. I think my Sugar Maple is close to flowering, but it happens a little later than the Red Maples. We had the fun ice storm, too. Blech.

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    1. Yes, I guess this is a female flower. The particular tree didn't appear to have any male flowers on it. Some neighbors down the street have some amazing Red Maples that I admire every spring, summer, and fall. This particular tree is a smaller one at the park. Beautiful trees!

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  17. It's fun to see the details in your photo. It's spring! Yippee!

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    1. Spring, indeed. I wonder what these flowers looked like during the ice storm. I guess I should have ventured out to see, but I didn't want to walk or drive yesterday! It was pretty treacherous!

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  18. Spring is coming - nice reminder! Thanks. JC

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    1. Yes, indeed! Before you know it, all the snow will be melted and so many more things will be blooming. Yay!

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    1. Apparently ... although you'd never know it by yesterday's weather, right? Gosh, I hope we're done with that for a long time!

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  20. I love it when the red maples start budding. It's exciting, since it is such a big sign of the beginning of the season! Yay!

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    1. Yes, they're so puffy from a distance, but when they really pop you now it's truly spring. :)

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  21. I like when the 90 foot maples break bud in the neighborhood. The sun hits them late in the day and it looks like they are on fire. A beautiful sight. Red maples are in the park and are pretty as well.

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    1. That's a great description, Donna. Yes, that describes it well. :) We have several of them in the neighborhood and they make me smile.

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  22. My silver maple is in bloom....pretty little flowers

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    1. All the Maples have pretty flowers. Underappreciated, understated, but lovely. :)

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  23. I' be never noticed flowers on maples, how pretty.

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    1. They're hard to see until you get close, but I find them fascinating.

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  24. When we lived in upstate NY we had a massive maple in our yard that turned flame red in the fall. It was just glorious. They're one of my favorite trees. :o)

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    1. They are glorious trees, aren't they? Spring, summer, and fall. They're great trees to have in a garden, if you don't have too many because they shade out other plants. Stunningly beautiful, though!

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  25. This is always my first sign that winter is on the way out, that and the return of ospreys.

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    1. It's interesting what says first signs of "spring" in different parts of the world. For me, yes, it's the Maple flowers, but also the first Crocus blooming and the flocks of Sandhill Cranes flying north overhead. :)

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  26. Saw a very naughty squirrel chowing down on buds just yesterday - looks like you're at least 2 weeks ahead of us!

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    1. Naughty little squirrel! Things are really changing fast now. I noticed my first Mayapple pips in the woods today. That's really early!

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  27. I love when the maples bloom...we only have silver maples but they bud up in late fall, and we see the tight red buds all winter...now they are beginning to break and flower! So early. I miss my red maples from my old garden.

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    1. Me, too. All the Maples have pretty flowers, but the Red Maples seem especially "puffy." I don't have a Red Maple either. My Sugar Maple has buds, but I'll have to check tomorrow to see if the flowers are out. :)

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  28. Beautiful Roses in the Balboa Gardens of San Diego . . .
    I liked the delightful names just as much as seeing the roses . . .
    I remember a wonderful trip to Southern California, San Diego in the early 60's. I am reminded of a huge, HUGE . . . turtle we saw there in the zoo.
    I always enjoy my visits with you Beth . . .
    Happy Springtime . . .

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    1. Hi Lynne: It's a great place for a vacation, isn't it? We had a fabulous time. :)

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