Thursday Tree Love: My Favorite Live Oak

“When we are OPEN, we have freedom, courage and creativity – not just to explore uncharted territories where intuition may lead, but also to move beyond limits.”

― Zamm Zamudio, Intuition: Discover the Inner Workings of our World –

This is my favorite live oak so far in southeastern North Carolina. It lives in a city park near a lake encircled by a five mile trail. Southern Live Oaks (Quercus Virginiana) are famous for their large, low, spreading branches. Some branches may even rest on the ground like South Carolina’s Angel Oak which I hope to visit one day.

I hope this gives you an idea of the tree’s size.

Thursday Tree Love is hosted by Parul Thankur on the second and fourth Thursday of each month. For more tree love, visit:

#ThursdayTreeLove – 111 – happiness and food

Thursday Tree Love: Tulip Tree

The tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) is another early bloomer in the eastern US. The blossoms can be pink, white with pink, purple, or yellow. They are sometimes called “Ann Magnolia” or “Ann Star Magnolia.” I took these photos a couple of weeks ago on a gray day at the same park where the cypress live by the lake.

With many branches still bare,
the tulip tree blossoms offered a welcome splash of color.

Thursday Tree Love is hosted by Parul Thakur on the second and fourth Thursday of each month.

For more Tree Love, visit:

#ThursdayTreeLove – 107 – happiness and food

Thursday Tree Love: Early Bloomer (Bradford Pear)

“Expect to have hope rekindled. Expect your prayers to be answered in wondrous ways. The dry seasons in life do not last. The spring rains will come again.” Sarah Ban Breathnach (Brainy Quotes)

Bradford Pear Blossoms with Bumblebee

The Bradford Pear is considered an ornamental tree. Some people say they are invasive. I say they are prolific and lovely. The bees like them, too. With cross pollination, these trees can produce small berry-like fruit that is reportedly not good to eat raw. I hadn’t noticed the fruit before, but I’ll be looking for it. Bradford Pear Trees are occasionally mistaken for dogwoods that will blossom later with broader, more individualized flowers.

I took these first photos at my church. Hopefully we’ll be back in there soon. Do you see the evergreen mistletoe among the white blossoms?

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  This tree has been here for many years.

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  Bradford Pear Tree with Mistletoe

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  See the bees?

The next photos were taken in my neighborhood. The Bradford Pear Trees are relatively small compared the the pine trees and oaks.

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  This evening, a storm was forecast but never materialized.

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Thursday Tree Love is hosted by Parul Thakur on the second and fourth Thursday of every month. For more tree love, visit: #ThursdayTreeLove – 106 – happiness and food

Thursday Tree Love: Waiting for Spring

“In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.”

― Albert Camus

This tree caught my attention on a recent walk to the little park near our home. I think this is an oak tree. In the summertime, I don’t think I would be as likely to notice her interesting trunk features or the clumps of mistletoe in the upper branches.

Waiting for Spring

~

Thursday Tree Love is hosted on the second and fourth Thursday of each month by Parul Thakur.

For more tree love, visit:

#ThursdayTreeLove – 104 – happiness and food

Thursday Tree Love: Hemlock?

My husband David identified this tree as a hemlock. We pass by it often on our walks in the neighborhood, and it stands out as different from the live oaks, pines, dogwoods, magnolias, and other trees common to the area.

In my search, I have not found a photo of a hemlock with such spikey looking leaves. What I have learned is that there are many different kinds of hemlock trees and plants. Some are poisonous and some are not, but it’s always good to be careful.

Thursday Tree Love is hosted by Parul Thakur on the second and fourth Thursday of every month. For more tree love visit: #ThursdayTreeLove – 103 – happiness and food

Thursday Tree Love #100: Deep Roots with Haiku

“Deep Roots are not reached by the frost.” JRR Tolkien

This weathered tree stands on a giant sand dune called “Sugarloaf” at Carolina Beach State Park. You might think that with roots exposed to much weather and erosion, the tree could topple any time. The view below suggests that its roots run deep where they can anchor into the sandy soil.

These trees have withstood hurricanes for decades.

Next, is a view from the top of “Sugarloaf.”

Tidal river trees

Standing strong for many years

Deep roots reaching down

Weather has its way

While deepest roots anchored well

Leave ghostly remnants.

At the bottom of the hill are remains of trees that stood tall long ago

Maybe these were once cypress trees.

I imagine their deep roots intertwine well below the surface.

Below is another tree at the bottom of the hill, but further back from the water. Sorry I don’t know their names (feel free to guess), but I certainly admire their perseverance.

This one seems to be holding its own.

I’m excited to be part of the 100th edition of Thursday Tree Love hosted by Parul Thakur. For more tree love, visit:

#ThursdayTreeLove – 100 – happiness and food

Thursday Tree Love: Live Oak with Spanish Moss

This particular southern live oak lives in Airlie Gardens near the coast of North Carolina.

The grounds keepers were just starting to decorate for the holidays, but nature has already decorated with Spanish Moss catching the afternoon sunlight.

My favorite work of human art in the gardens is this bottle house which also catches the sunlight.

Thursday Tree Love is hosted by Tharul Pakur on the second and fourth Thursday of each month.

For more tree love, visit:

#ThursdayTreeLove – 99 – happiness and food

Thursday Tree Love: Mushroom Treehouse

David and I saw this tree on one of our after dinner walks around the block. You might wonder if the tree is alive.

Here’s the view overhead:

This tree lives in southeastern North Carolina

Thursday Tree Love is hosted by Parul Thakur on the second and fourth Thursday of each month. For more tree love, visit:

#ThursdayTreeLove – 96

Thursday Tree Love: Live Oak with Resurrection Fern

This live oak lives in an old cemetery in the southern US. Its far reaching branches are covered in resurrection fern. This fern grows on trees and other surfaces but it does not steal nutrients. It reproduces from spores rather than seeds and can often survive droughts during which it seems to dry up and then come back to life when water is available.

In addition to the photos, I’m sharing a video below, because it’s hard to get the whole tree in a photo.

close up

Thursday Tree Love is hosted by Parul Thakur on the second and fourth Thursday of each month. For more tree love, and a beautiful quote from Parul, visit:

#ThursdayTreeLove – 94

Thursday Tree Love: Roots

“A tree’s beauty lies in its branches, but its strength lies in its roots.”

― Matshona Dhliwayo

Roots provide a glimpse into the vast support network in an underground world we are only beginning to understand. I find them fascinating.

Here are a few photos I’ve taken of tree roots:

Do you see a lemur face peeking out on the left?

Roots offer footholds like steps on twisting trails.

Roots make cool hide outs for little animals.

Some roots look like legs that could walk away at any moment.

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Thursday tree love is hosted by Parul Thakur on the second and fourth Thursday of each month. For more Tree Love, visit: https://www.happinessandfood.com/thursdaytreelove-92/

#ThursdayTreeLove – 92