Spring Visit: April 21 - 24, 2023 This year I visited a little earlier in spring compared to my last spring visit in 2021, early enough to see some of the flowers, but late enough to see leaves on most species. The only trees that were in full bloom were the Fraser Magnolia, Striped Maple, and Flowering Dogwood. Yellow Buckeye flowers were not yet open, and I found no trace of flowers on the Mountain Silverbells, Cucumber Magnolias, Black Cherries, or Serviceberries. The weather was warm and sunny with one brief rain shower.
Large Pignut Hickory Until now, I had only been able to confirm one Pignut Hickory tree, via the pear-shaped nuts that do not split to the base. This is a small-medium sized tree, just beyond the end of the access road on Lot A, that was showering hundreds of nuts. There are a few other potential candidates scattered around (based on the bark being slightly less shaggy than the more abundant Red Hickories), but I have not been able to confirm their identities due to a total absence of nuts at their bases. However, while exploring the NE corner region of Lot C, I came across a few characteristic pig-snouted nuts on the ground and saw that they originated from a huge Pignut Hickory tree, measuring 7ft 1 inch in circumference at chest height.
This tree was right next to an impressive Red Hickory tree of similar size, whose bark was slightly shaggier, as expected.
The picture below looks skywards towards the spring canopies of the two large hickories (Red Hickory upper left, Pignut Hickory upper right), and a nearby very large Blackgum (lower middle).
More Scarlet Oaks Not sure how I missed these trees during my last few visits. It was too early in the season for the leaves to be fully emerged so I can't be 100% certain. However, there were old Scarlet Oak leaves scattered on the ground, with their characteristic deeply divided lobes, and in some cases a few characteristic acorns. Also, the lower parts of the trunks were blockier than a typical Northern Red Oak. I also noticed that these trees all had a large number of ~1-3 inch thick dead branches jutting perpendicularly from the trunk, extending quite a way down from the canopy - I remember reading somewhere that Scarlet Oaks tend to hold onto their dead branches longer than other oak species. The first couple of trees were in the SE area of Lot C, including the largest Scarlet Oak I have found so far on my land (3ft 11 inches circumference). During my autumn visit I confirmed that these two trees are indeed Scarlet Oaks.
The second couple of trees were around the eastern border of Lot A and Lot B, not too far away from where I park the car. The one in the pictures below was 2ft, 6 inches in circumference. During my autumn 2023 visit I discovered that the tree in these pictures is actually a Black Oak, based on the shape of the emerged leaves and scruffy-capped acorns lying on the ground beneath it. I was not able to locate the other one in this area, but perhaps this is a Black Oak too.
Recovering Hemlocks? On inspection, both Eastern Hemlocks that I treated in 2022 had no signs of woolly adelgid infestation. Another tree that I came across on land just outside my lots still had clear infestation. So this confirms that the combination of Safari and imidacloprid was successful in eradicating the pest. The trees still looked scraggly and sparse in several areas, with lots of dead branches, but on inspecting one of them (NE corner Lot C, 4ft 8 inches circumference) by drone, I could see plenty of new growth.
I also visited Albright Grove in Great Smoky Mountains National Park and could see treated hemlocks in all their splendor - they can grow to truly impressive sizes.
New Tree Species? Near the stream on Lot C, as it crosses the old logging road on the eastern border, I found a couple of small, multi-trunked trees that are heavily leaning. The bark is pale and smooth with warty lenticels, and the leaves are variable in shape, some ovate and some fairly rounded (but looking like the tips had been truncated by fungus), some toothed, some untoothed, whitish on the underside, non-aromatic when crushed. On examining one of my photos, I noticed amongst the leaves several silhouettes of what looks like fruiting catkins of a willow. I think it may be a Glaucous Willow (American Pussy Willow), Salix discolor, which means a new species!
Other Observations On Lot C, I came across another large Red Hickory that had recently snapped in two at a height of about 15 feet above the ground, just like the gigantic one on Lot A did last year. There seems to be an intrinsic weakness in the Red Hickories - I think what may happen is that a major branch in the canopy breaks off and then the heartwood slowly rots all the way down to the base - the hollow tree then eventually snaps when there is some strong wind. I fear the same thing will happen soon to the massive Red Hickory at the end of the primitive driveway in Lot A (it already has the hole at the base of the trunk leading to a hollow interior) - that tree is spectacular, the star attraction of Lot A, and very close to the state champion Red Hickory in circumference.
Striped Maple flowers dangle down across the leaves
Fraser Magnolia flowers - hard to see from the forest floor, but abundantly visible by drone.
Due to the fact they were in flower, I noticed a lot more Flowering Dogwoods scattered around. However, I was never able to get near enough for a decent picture. Nice yellow lady's slipper orchid on the east side of Lot A.
Yellow Buckeye flowers were not yet open, but getting close