What a Naturalist Notices

September is so close that I can almost taste the pumpkin spice everything.  Even though fall doesn't technically begin until the Equinox (September 23rd this year), nature is already gearing up for the harvest season.

I went out to take a walk the other day because it was so beautiful outside, and right away, I saw signs of autumn.  Leaves on the ground!

The first rumblings of autumn.

 And here I was, thinking that I'd have to wait another month to crunch fallen leaves on the ground.  Not so!  It depends upon the tree.  Some trees, like beech trees, don't "lose" their leaves over the winter; the leaves turn brown and hang on till springtime.  I may have to try to get some pictures of that this winter.  Mental note!!
 
You can even see some leaves turning already, if you look close enough.  Some yellow leaves blend in with all the greenery, but these leaves stand out pretty well, thanks to red and green being complimentary colors on the color wheel.

Blurry.  Thanks camera...

I can't tell from the picture (my camera wasn't behaving terribly well), but I'm pretty sure that the red leaves are black raspberry leaves.  They look like poison ivy, but I didn't see any berries or rootlets, so I'm just going off what appears to be a brown, boxy-like stem in the middle.

Poison ivy does produce berries in the fall.  They are very different from blackberries, luckily.  But please, if you're ever lost in the woods, triple check the berries that you are going to eat.  Getting poison ivy in the stomach can be deadly without access to medical care.  And for goodness' sake, please never burn the stuff.  The oils get trapped in the smoke and then they get on your skin and potentially in your lungs.  Not a pleasant situation.

As much as I dislike poison ivy, I have to (begrudgingly) admit that it is beneficial to a wooded environment.  Deer and birdies can eat the berries and leaves.  Humans seem to be the only ones who are allergic to it.  Perhaps it and cacao tree were the only things that came with humans on the spaceship... but I digress!

When I think of autumn foliage, I normally picture reds and oranges, the forest canopy aflame with color.  But did you know that there are some plants that flower in the fall?  Yes, the shift of the seasons is the perfect time for allergies.  Don't worry.  It's just tree sperm invading your nose.

The color!

This little buckeye tree is the one whose leaves are littering the ground.  He has made a happy little friend though, in those yellow flowers (wigstem, perhaps?  I don't know what they are, honestly, I'm really just guessing after looking it up online).  And, growing on the tree, you can see the first buckeyes of the season!!

These aren't the delicious buckeyes that your gran makes though. (If you have never had peanut butter enrobed in delicious chocolate, you are missing out on a fantastic treat, and I suggest you make some, ASAP.  Recipe will be posted at some point in this blog, so stay tuned!)  These buckeyes are actually toxic, so don't eat them.  They like to hide in their little sacks until the squirrels get to them, and then you can see the shells littered all over the floor of the forest, much like black walnut and hickory nut shells.

Buckeyes look like nut sacks!

As I was wondering through the forest,  I came across another tree.  One that I wasn't sure of, until I sent a picture to a friend of mine who is much better at identifying trees.  I haven't seen one of these in a long time, much less a seed-bearing one.

An ash tree with seeds!

 It's an ash tree!  Ever since the Emerald Ash Borer swept through and devastated the ash trees in the area (including the 30-foot tall ash tree in my parents' front yard that I had practically grown up with), these trees are hard to come by.  I have big plans for this little guy.  I'm hoping to be able to come back to this park and harvest the seeds, and maybe sprout some of them into my very own ash trees!  How does one sprout an ash seed?  Hmm.  That's a good question.  I will have to do some research.

Another bunch of seeds I found are my favorite seeds of all!  These I call "Sproing-a-boing" seeds, although the proper name is more like Spotted Touch-Me-Not.  It is also called Jewelweed.  This awesome plant likes to grow in swampy, marshy areas.  At least, that's where it grows around here!  Its sap can be used to combat the itch of poison ivy.  When it gets wet, the leaves appear to have a silvery tone to them (hence the nickname jewelweed), which is something "magical" to show kids.

But the real reason I love these plants is because of their seeds.  They're tightly packed into a little pod, and then when the pod is ripe and touched, the seeds explode out everywhere.  And here!  I have a little video to show you!

 I sat there for about 15 minutes, touching all the ones that I could.  I usually wait till September to do this, but then find that one of the patches that I frequent has been mowed down.  I was so happy to see these little guys!  And there are still flowers on it, so that means they're still going to be producing seeds in a few weeks!  Hooray, I get to have more time popping jewelweed and giggling like an idiot.

Which brings us back around to the start of the path.  Most of those leaves on the ground are buckeye leaves, though I did notice some sycamores have started changing color already.  I can't wait for all the crunchy leaves underfoot and the fiery colors of fall to descend upon us.  As long as we get good weather (ie not too hot, not too cold, but perfect Goldilocks weather), this fall should prove to be epic.

You can tell where the buckeye trees live.