The black locust trees are in bloom and they are absolutely magnificent. The air around them smells sweet and it’s worth extra effort to smell the flowers up close.

Black locust

frozen black locust trees.

So during the winter time, I had some kind of baby tree growing in one of my biggest pots; it didn't have any leaves and I wasn't sure what it was, usually black locust will grow on its own because I accidentally bring in the seeds from the forest.

However, I also use my biggest pot as a stand for my artificial tree during the holidays, because the tree was gifted to me without a stand, and the easiest way to fix that was to stab it in a pot of soil. I let my roommate do the stabbing this year, and I warned her, hey, there's also a tree in this pot! But she didn't even notice the feeble tree trunk and squished the soil around the plastic tree instead. I expected the tiny tree would maybe survive this, maybe not.

Anyway, weeks passed and, and as we were taking the artificial tree out, I realized there was something bright green behind it - the baby tree has sprouted leaves. But it made no sense! Not only were we in the dead of winter, but this tree was literally in the darkest possible corner of the entire apartment, and on top of it hidden behind an artificial tree, it would have received zero light, water, even the soil was all messed up and nobody was paying any attention to it!

Removing a fake tree only to find alive real one really got to me, so I got down to my knees and teared up, it was so beautiful and unexpected, like the spring had come early. Life was uncovered. I quickly put the tree directly under the window, to get proper light to the baby leaves, watered it and added fresh soil on top - I wasn't sure if it sprouted leaves as a last-ditch effort to survive, or if the heat of the apartment made it think that it was spring, but in any case it needed light and water very fast.

it's about 3 weeks later now, and the tiny tree is still here! I think it's going to survive, and be my new balcony tree. And it is a black locust!

First picture is the baby tree the first day out of darkness, and the second picture is taken yesterday. (the weird newspaper weaved thing is my treasure chest that I made out of newspaper)

It was such a glorious Saturday morning, I couldn’t pass up a bike ride on the Mon River Trail. It’s hard to believe the spring ephemerals are mostly gone now that the canopy has closed in, but Mother Nature doesn’t doddle. As compensation, she has given us stunning new greens and a lush carpet of ferns.

From top: black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia), a Central Appalachian endemic that has been widely cultivated outside of its native range and is now naturalized in many other parts of North America and Europe; American bladdernut (Staphylea trifolia), a large, suckering shrub that forms the most amazing fruit, encased in a three-chambered bladder; Virginia spiderwort (Tradescantia virginiana), which despite its unappealing name is an absolutely gorgeous, spring-blooming dayflower; lyreleaf sage (Salvia lyrata L.). a highly appealing spring-blooming mint with incredibly showy foliage; Philadelphia fleabane (Erigeron philadelphicus), distinguished from other spring asters by it clasping leaves; Virginia waterleaf (Hydrophyllum virginianum), an edible green sometimes referred to as Shawnee salad; and Canada violet (Viola canadensis), one of the last and most stately violets to bloom in this area.

New Plant!

1. Black Locust

n344_w1150 by Biodiversity Heritage Library Via Flickr: The Avicultural magazine Ascot, Berkshire, etc. :Avicultural Society, etc. biodiversitylibrary.org/page/56188723

Black Locust (Plant)

Robinia pseudoacacia

23/03/23 - NSW, Berrima

Treetober - 4/31

Black Locust

Black locust trees turning brown now and blooming back in May.

Black locust tree

With all the rain and the sudden streak of warm weather, there was an explosion of green this week! 💚

Pictured are new mulberry leaves, wild grape leaf buds, and new black locust leaves and racemes.

Black Locust Tree

work in progress

pen and ink on paper

This is the year of the Black Locust blooms; they are dripping from the trees and oh, so very fragrant.

n52_w1150 by Biodiversity Heritage Library Via Flickr: The Garden London,1871-1927 biodiversitylibrary.org/page/32364622