Sap Rising and Other Signs of Spring

Sap dripping from a fallen oak, Schenley Park, 5 March 2021 (photo by Kate St. John)

6 March 2021

Flowers are pushing up their leaves and sap is rising in the trees.

On Friday the sap was rising so fast in this fallen red oak that it was dripping to the ground. The oak keeled over last year in Schenley Park leaving just one root in the ground. That root is still doing its job.

Sap rising in a fallen oak, Schenley Park, 5 March 2021 (photo by Kate St. John)

With temperatures this week above freezing during the day and below freezing at night I imagine it’s still maple sugaring time in the Laurel Highlands. Sugaring ends when the buds open. They haven’t opened yet in Schenley Park (below).

Sugar maple buds are not open, Schenley Park, 5 March 2021 (photo by Kate St. John)

Other trees have swelling buds.

Trees buds are swelling, Schenley Park, 5 March 2021 (photo by Kate St. John)

Below, silver maple (Acer saccharinum) buds were about to burst when a squirrel gnawed the stems and they fell to the ground. Do squirrels nip off the buds to get to the sap?

Silver maple buds attempted to open, Schenley Park, 5 March 2021 (photo by Kate St. John)

Meanwhile daffodil leaves are turning green in Schenley Park.

Daffodil leaves, Schenley Park, 5 March 2021 (photo by Kate St. John)

Tulip leaves emerged on a busy street in Oakland where the deer can’t get them. 🙂

Tulip leaves, Craig Street, 2 March 2021 (photo by Kate St. John)

And there is mud.

The snow melted all at once last weekend and the Monongahela River rose high, flooding the Mon Wharf. On Wednesday 3 March it was sunny and 60 degrees, a great time for a walk … but not here!

Monongahela River receding from flood stage, Pittsburgh South Side, 3 March 2021 (photo by Kate St. John)

When the river receded it left behind leafy debris and deep chocolate-pudding-like mud at South Side Riverfront Park. I tried to walk down there but I gave up before getting muddy. Others were not so careful. You can see deep footprints in the shade in the photo above (bottom left).

Closeup of debris and mud as Mon River recedes, 3 March 2021 (photo by Kate St. John)

It’s Mud Season in Pittsburgh!

(photos by Kate St. John)

2 thoughts on “Sap Rising and Other Signs of Spring

  1. You are the Happy Wanderer. Thanks so much for sharing these photos. Looking forward to putting the winter gear away and getting outdoors to enjoy nature’s springtime beauty. Keep ‘em coming!

  2. Just about everything in this article brought a smile to my face! Deep, yucky mud….not so much, but still a sign of spring! Thanks, Kate.

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