• Music: They Might Be Giants - The House At the Top of a Tree

Urban Nature Walk in the Arboretum

This month I want to make up for missing an Urban Nature Walk in February by having an extra one in March. That extra one is today, an easy stroll through the Arnold Arboretum, our local tree museum. The next one is March 31st at Quincy Quarry.


A friend asked me beforehand, what's in bloom at the Arboretum? Well, it's very early in the year still, but the skunk cabbage is blooming!



I suspect that Ajay got better pictures than me, but I'm eager to find out!


Pussy willow is also flowering--little stamens of pollen rising out of the furry catkins.


Urban Nature Walkers of all ages enjoy pussy willow!


Also in bloom, lots of witch hazel!


It's one of my favorites, and the colors are beautiful, so I may have overdone the witch hazel pics!


Okay, maybe just one more.


Henri among the honey locust pods!


The Arboretum and it's collection are so well maintained that mushrooms are few and far between. These handsome polypores are growing from a Japanese cherry birch.


And finally, after deliberately searching for crocuses for much of the walk, we found a patch.


Lots of saffrony pollen in there!