News from the world of trees 2021 #1

Here is another (occasional) round-up of tree news articles from around the world – first one since December so I apologise that it’s a long read! Click on each of the pictures if you would like to see the full stories.

Could blighted American chestnut trees return?

Here’s an interesting one from Sierra, suggested by Diana Studer in Capetown: Before a disastrous blight, the American chestnut (Castanea dentata) was a keystone species in eastern forests. Could genetic engineering help bring it back?

Brits urged to spot at-risk sweet chestnuts

Meanwhile in the UK the Royal Horticultural Society is enlisting everyone to log sweet chestnut trees (Castanea sativa), which are under threat from a gall wasp – here’s a report from House Beautiful…

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2021 tree following 4: A month is a long time…

Pretty golden leaves of the Lombardy poplar (Populus nigra ‘Italica’) in Victoria Park this week

For all my good intentions it has been a full month since I visited the magnificent Lombardy poplar (Populus nigra ‘Italica’) in Cardiff’s Victoria Park.

I had hoped to see last month’s red male catkins develop but I have been so busy that I missed my chance of an extra visit in between times.

I went to see the tree this week on a cool spring day with sunshine and light cloud. This time the catkins had all gone and instead there were beautiful golden diamond-shaped leaves breaking through. Here are my pictures…

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Tree following link box for April 2021

Cheerful yellow flowers and fresh new leaves on a small Forsythia tree in a neighbour’s garden

It’s that time again for the monthly tree-following link box, which will stay open for your tree-related links until 7pm GMT on April 14.

It’s hard to believe that spring is really here at last and in Cardiff we had a mini heatwave for a few days last week. For the Easter weekend the wind turned around to the north and east so temperatures dropped and yesterday we actually had some hail. But hopefully that was just a blip and warmer days will return soon.

Later in the week I hope to visit the Lombardy poplar tree I am monitoring in Victoria Park, not too far from home, but I wonder what the rest of you tree followers are up to? I’m sure some of you still have snow…

Hopefully you will have something new to report. Any tree-related post is acceptable from contributors old and new.

Point to the post you would like to share, using the link box below. And please don’t forget to leave a comment.

If you are new to tree following, read all about the idea here.

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Winter Photography Scavenger Hunt – March

Round and round: Attractive ivy berries in a garden beside the street

As spring arrives we come to the end of the Winter Photography Scavenger Hunt hosted by Eileen at A Bracelet of Days – details here. I hope I have now found something for every category, although I am limited by not leaving the house much, what with the Covid pandemic and working from home. But here goes with my last offerings.

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