The cones have tales to tell this fine spring day. Do you have a minute to hear what they have to say?
Let the old gray cones speak first. They’ve likely seen better days but are still holding on tight to the even older black spruce that bore them years ago. Neither the young nor the old should underestimate the value of tenacity. Hang in there baby!
These spruce cone leftovers on the woodpile reveal a spot where at least one red squirrel likes to dine regularly. Hopefully the neighborhood cats aren’t paying attention.
A closed cone in a boggy area doesn’t want to expose its seeds to the wetness if there’s still a chance it can disperse them farther in drier weather. It’s only natural for all of us, even small pine cones, to aspire to reach out to the world beyond our little neck of the woods.
A spruce cone on the forest floor is already open, even though it rained heavily here a couple of days ago. A sign of a dry summer ahead, it’s also showing an increased risk for wildfire.
Speckled alder cones have only a few seeds left in them, but are proud to say they helped feed a good many hungry chickadees this past winter. When you hear the chickadees sing, you can thank the alders.
Red spruce cones announce to the world that they’re open for business. Pollination business that is. Their bright red bract scales are ready to receive the male gametophytes that will produce a new crop of seeds. They’re so spectacularly beautiful, a close-up is warranted…
Green cones appear for the first time atop a tall balsam fir I transplanted as a seedling years ago while holding a baby on my hip. It’s always a thrill when your babies start having babies of their own, whether these babies are humans or trees 😉
Get outside and hear what nature has to say to you today.
Text and photographs copyright Amy-Lynn Bell 2013
Beautiful pictures and verbal imagery.
From now on I will be looking more closely at the cones I find in my garden.
Thank you.
Thank you Margaret. Go check out those cones 🙂
I had no idea cones were communicating about so many things – will be paying more attention to their messages on my next walk in the woods. Beautiful, informative post, Amy-Lynn!
Barbara, it boggles the mind how many things the woods can tell us on our walks. Glad you enjoyed the post 🙂
I didn’t know that Chickadees eat Alder cone seeds.
Sybil, the alder is one of the most popular chickadee hangouts in the yard in winter especially.
Thank you for sharing this Amy-Lynn. It was so instructive. Have been thinking lately about how much nature shares with us–and how little generally we know. (I make an exception for you.) As usual, love your writing style, too!
Hi Kathy, despite all we’re given, it’s easy to take nature for granted. Learning to be thankful for all that we have is probably all we really need to know.
Who knew that cones could be so chatty? Love it.
I’ve never seen red spruce cones before – a striking colour!
Reggie, that red color faded to a dull burgundy within a couple of days of taking those photos. It just goes to show how fleeting even such striking beauty can be.
Very interesting, words and photos works very well together, you are a good teacher. I like cones, can´t stop taking them with me, if I find some good ones. We also use them at Christmas for decorations, – do you do that too? In December they are for sale. I find it a bit odd to buy a cone, but on the other hand, – if someone need cones at a snowy December they have a problem…:-)
Giiid, I find cones hard to resist too 😉 Years ago I used to paint their tips with white paint and sprinkle with salt to look like snow – all very time consuming but quite pretty on the Christmas tree. I find it odd to buy a cone too. As a child, I helped pick bushels of green white pine cones that my grandfather gave to the Department of Lands and Forests for seeds, so I’ve always known they were a precious commodity.
This was a very poetic walk through your natural environment, Amy-Lynn. Red spruce cones are similar to those on larch trees over here. Simply beautiful. I am always amazed at the differences in cones on their own trees. Each one a unique natural beauty. I love their scent too. A lovely post you shared with us, thank you.
Glad you enjoyed the post Isabelle 🙂 I marvel at the variation in the design of cones too. One year I caught sight of the most beautiful purple larch cones in early spring. They are called tamarack here. They looked more like flowers than pine cones.