Are you sneezing yet?
It’s a busy week for trees in southwestern Pennsylvania as they open flowers and unfurl new leaves.
In Schenley Park the trees are flowering everywhere, from insect pollinated redbuds (pink above) to wind pollinated sugar maples (yellow at top) and hophornbeams (below).
Last weekend it was so dry that pollen coated my car and made my throat and eyes itch … and this was before the oaks had bloomed! (Pollen note: Both oaks and pines are wind pollinated. Southwestern PA has an oak-hickory forest with few pines.)
Other busy trees include the bursting buds of hawthorns and hickories. …
… and new leaves on yellow buckeyes.
The city is a heat island so Schenley Park’s trees are ahead of the surrounding area. Our red oak buds burst yesterday so you can expect several busy weeks ahead for trees in southwestern Pennsylvania.
Are you sneezing yet?
(photos by Kate St. John)
Sacramento is called “The City of Trees.” When we were there last week, I believe every one of those trees was pitching pollen out to the world! They’re beautiful, but oh, the sneezing! I had to take an allergy pill when we got home.
Thanks for sharing your photos!
Only the fall ragweed pollen stuffs up my sinuses and makes me sneeze. But the spring pollen from the trees makes my eyes burn, water and itch! Especially the oak trees! Thanks for warning me that they are out. No allergy pills seem to help that, just a big hankie and rubbing my eyes constantly.
For Robin Anthony, apologies if you’ve tried this, but as a fellow eye-itch sufferer, I use over the counter Zaditor eye drops, as recommended by my eye Dr. They last 12 hours and really help me.
I would like to use your beautiful picture of clumps of sugar maple flower
Ariane, That’s ok with me as long as you credit the photo to Kate St. John with a link to my blog.