The Sycamore Maple is a European tree. Of course, over there, it's called the Planetree Maple. The name comes from the flaking bark. This young specimen, on the edge of the Park, near the nothwest corner of the Reservoir, is still smooth, but is notable for its impatience; while most of its fellows are just breaking bud, this tree is already fully leafed-out. I see more variation in this species than in some others, but this individual is way ahead of schedule. The same tree did the same thing last year, so it's no fluke.




It's also in flower (above), but the blossoms and the new leaves are almost the same color, and the blooms hang beneath the leaves, so they are less noticeable than those of other Maples, even if they are more extravagant in form. Another import, the Norway Maple (below), is more in line with our Acers, bearing flowers before leaves. As often happens, the species was brought in as an ornamental, but has become naturalized, and is displacing native trees. It's now classified as an "invasive species", and is no longer allowed to reproduce naturally in the Park. Within 150 years, it should be gone from the neighborhood.








So, on one Spring day, we can find a spectrum in the trees, from flower to fruit, from bare branches to auguries of Summer's leaves. An infinity of shades between green and yellow, but also black and brown and gray of bark, and not a little red afield. Not now the gaudy hues of Autumn, but in its own subtle way, Spring is the most colorful season of all.