2023 tree following 5: Aphids abound

Greenfly seen through a leaf of the sycamore I am following in Llandaff Fields, Cardiff

Although the weather is still changeable here in South Wales, the temperatures were just starting to rise when I visited the big sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus) in Llandaff Fields this week.

The flowers have now dropped off and the fruits are preparing to form, although I could see no sign of the winged seeds yet.

What I did see, but only when I enlarged a photograph of some of the leaves high on the tree, was a host of greenfly – I assumed they were the same as those on rose bushes but I have discovered that there is a specific sycamore aphid out and about in May called Drepanosiphum platanoidis, which likes sycamore. Those on roses are likely to be Macrosiphum rosae…

Here are my photos from the visit on Thursday afternoon…

Read Full Post »

2023 tree following 4: Green leaves, green flowers

Sycamore leaves and flowers

It has been a very wet week but luckily the Easter bank holiday weekend was fine if a bit blustery, so I managed to visit the big sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus) in Llandaff Fields before starting back at work after the welcome break.

So much has happened and the tree now has flowers as well as fresh green leaves.

Here are my photos from a visit on the afternoon of Easter Monday…

Read Full Post »

2023 tree following 3: Green is busting out all over

The sycamore in the distance, framed by alder catkins

Well, I’m really cutting this fine – just in time to publish my tree-following blog post for the month.

I had hoped to visit the sycamore in Llandaff Fields when it snowed last week, but the snow only lasted an hour or two before it turned to rain.

So I ended up visiting today, as the cold and snowy weather from the north and warmer, wetter weather from the south competed and left South Wales with a window of a few hours of sunshine.

Here are my photos from a visit today (March 14)…

Read Full Post »

2023 tree following 2: Long shadows

Shadow of the sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus) in Llandaff Fields, Cardiff

After a wet and then frosty January, February has started with some drizzle and mist and quite a few fine late-winter days.

I visited the sycamore I am following in Llandaff Fields on another lovely day – from my photos you would think the sun always shines in Cardiff!

A reminder that in America this would be called a sycamore maple but in the UK it’s simply a sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus).

Read Full Post »

2023 tree following 1: A new tree

My new tree to follow – a sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus) in Llandaff Fields, Cardiff, with a dog walker on the right for scale

Happy New Year! It’s time for me to choose a new tree to follow in 2023 – although I know some tree followers plump for a new subject in Spring when nature starts waking up again.

i have decided on a tree even closer to my Cardiff home than last year’s. That tulip tree in Victoria Park took me 20 to 30 minutes to reach on foot, while this one takes about 10 minutes – and only five minutes to reach a point where I can see it from the road.

As revealed in the photo above, I have selected a sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus) in Llandaff Fields. In America this would be called a sycamore maple but in the UK it’s simply a sycamore.

Read Full Post »