Ranger Jason's Nature Booth

Yes, believe it or not this is one tree -- a massive, four-trunked American Sycamore. I ran across this beauty this week at the Cedar Creek Greenway in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee. This short but scenic trail is definitely worth checking out and features an impressive variety of trees. In fact, there will be a tree ID workshop and hike there this Sunday by Wilson County Master Gardener Association and Cedar Creek Greenway Restoration Project. Water Oak, American Hornbeam, and Shellbark Hickory were just a few of the species I spotted along the trail.

American Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) is one of the tallest deciduous trees in the U.S. and commonly found growing along streams, lakes and ponds. Its often massive trunks can reach up to 8 to 12 feet in diameter. It is easily recognized by its brown and white mottled bark, which becomes totally white on the upper trunk and branch surfaces, giving it the nickname “ghost tree.”

Its globular, ball-like fruits hang on the trees through winter, breaking up or falling off the following spring. The close-textured wood is often used for lumber, veneer, furniture, crates, and butcher blocks.

Native Americans used the trunks of sycamores to make dugout canoes. Hollow specimens are used as dens for owls, bats, squirrels, and raccoons. Before widespread European settlement, the hollow trunks of old, giant sycamores were often homes for chimney swifts, and even sheltered early settlers.

Despite the heat this week in Middle Tennessee, it's beginning to look like autumn out there! I found these today near my home in Davidson County. At top is a Pawpaw leaf. Below it is a nut from a Pignut Hickory tree. At bottom is the ghostly leaf of a Sassafras tree. On either side are leaves of a Black Gum tree. In my area, Black Gum is almost always the first tree species to show fall color, followed closely by Sassafras.

Also today, I noticed a LOT of Persimmon fruits on the ground. It's been a dry, hot summer here, and it appears many of the fruits have fallen prematurely. Some were mostly green, others had a good deal of color, while a few were actually ripe - and quite tasty! What are the rest of you seeing out there?

Here are four plants I photographed this week in the cedar glades of Long Hunter State Park: Limestone Fameflower (Phemeranthus calcaricus), Gattinger's Prairie Clover (Dalea gattingeri), Eastern Prickly Pear (Opuntia cespitosa), and Tennessee Coneflower (Echinacea tennesseensis).

The cedar glades of Middle Tennessee are an endless parade of rare and unique wildflowers from late winter through fall, but these four species are arguably the most famous -- and fortunately for us they often bloom at the same time!

Limestone Fameflower is my favorite wildflower of them all, for a variety of reasons. Tennessee Coneflower is possibly the most famous rare wildflower in our state. Gattinger's Prairie Clover is one of several local species named after German-born physician and botanist Augustin Gattinger. And Eastern Prickly Pear... well, it's not as rare as the other three, but there's no denying it has one of the most spectacular blooms around.

If you wish to learn more about these four species, click on the individual photos and I will go into a bit more detail about each.

If you're near the cedar glades, get out and enjoy these while you can!

One of my favorite wildflowers - and usually the first to bloom in my area - is the rare Long-styled Glade Cress (Leavenworthia stylosa). I photographed these today in the cedar glades of Long Hunter State Park in Davidson County.

Long-styled Glade Cress is in the Mustard Family. In the U.S., it occurs only in Middle Tennessee, mainly in the limestone glades of Davidson, Rutherford and Wilson counties. The flowers can be white, yellow or pinkish. As you can see in these photos, in this particular location I found all three colors blooming.

This year I found my first glade cress flower on Feb. 18th, but I've often found them blooming in January. A few years ago I found a flower on Jan. 3rd. I'm seeing lots of blooms this weekend, and they will likely peak in March and bloom through much of April.

When the wind is calm, you can often smell glade cress flowers before you see them. They give off a really nice honey-like aroma.

Leaves + Bark. This week I took a walk near my home in Middle Tennessee and noticed a variety of leaves on the ground. I decided to place some of the leaves on the trees from which they fell. I thought it might be interesting - and perhaps helpful - to see a tree’s bark and leaves together. Click on photos for IDs.

Today I led another hike at Sellars Farm State Archaeological Area in Wilson County, and the fields were full of purplish flowers such as Giant Ironweed, Passionflower, Carolina Elephant's Foot, Mistflower, and our native Field Thistle. We found some interesting tree fruits and some early fall color. Participants also enjoyed seeing "The Four Giants," as I like to call them: Bur Oak, Sugar Maple, American Beech, and Sassafras (four very large trees!) lined up in a row beside Spring Creek. Sellars Farm is a special place and definitely worth checking out. Click on photos for IDs.

I never get tired of seeing Passionflower, which also happens to be Tennessee's state wildflower. Today I saw at least 40 of these blooming at Sellars Farm State Archaeological Area in Wilson County. Other highlights here included a variety of milkweeds in bloom, several Morning Glory species, and woodland trails lined with Brown-eyed Susan and Garden Phlox. And, as always on a hot summer day, Spring Creek was quite inviting. I'm also including photos of four of my favorite trees -- I call them the Four Giants -- which are lined up in a row beside Spring Creek.

Today I led a nature hike at Sellars Farm State Archaeological Area in Lebanon, and once we reached the woods beside Spring Creek, it quickly turned into a cicada hike! Participants were fascinated by the variety of plants that the cicadas had decided to climb. I thought I would share a few images. What are the rest of you seeing? Which trees, plants or other objects are they climbing most in your yard? I'm finding a lot of them on my car tires.

Yes, this is just a single tree! A four-trunked Sweet Gum (Liquidambar styraciflua) today at Long Hunter State Park. This species is known for its star-shaped leaves and its spiky, globe-shaped fruit. The branches and twigs sometimes have corky wings, similar to Winged Elm. The common name refers to the aromatic "gum" that oozes from wounds to the tree. Historically, this gum was used medicinally as well as for chewing gum.

Don't know about the rest of you, but in my neck of the woods it's been a stellar day for new spring wildlife sounds and sightings!

I've heard four different frog species today: Northern Cricket Frog, Cope's Gray Treefrog, Southern Leopard Frog, and Fowler's Toads, which are calling from nearby Couchville Lake. I spotted the Fowler's Toad below in the Middle Tennessee cedar glades a couple of days ago. Also hearing a few leftover Upland Chorus Frogs, which started calling here back in February.

As for birds, tonight I'm hearing a nightjar -- a Chuck-will's-widow -- for the first time this year. Also today, at Sellars Farm State Archaeological Area, I heard my first Northern Parula, Common Yellowthroat, Louisiana Waterthrush, and Yellow-breasted Chat. And this evening I'm seeing several fireflies for the first time this season. The Barred Owls are calling as well, and there's a May Beetle buzzing at my window. All that, and there's a pair of Osprey nesting on the utility pole in front of my house. It's like a Springtime Nature Parade!

What are the rest of you seeing and hearing?

Okay, so baby leaves probably aren't as cute as baby animals, but I always get excited to see the first tree leaves of spring. Here are some I photographed over the weekend at Long Hunter State Park in Hermitage. It's interesting to note that some freshly unfolded leaves look exactly like the later mature leaf, while the young leaves of other species look a bit different initially and need time to develop their shape. Click on individual photos for IDs. I've also included a few other interesting sightings, including Sassafras flowers, a winged branch (that many would probably guess as Winged Elm), and some incredibly corky-looking White Ash bark.

It was a splendid day at Sellars Farm State Archaeological Area in Wilson County. The site is known for its historical significance and is one of the best preserved Native American villages in the Southeast, but it also features impressive flora and fauna, including the rare Tennessee clubtail dragonfly. I didn't see any dragonflies today, but I did find wildflowers (Miami Mist, Yellow Trout Lily, Wild Blue Phlox), tree fruits (Slippery Elm, Red Maple), leaves emerging (Yellow Buckeye, Rusty Blackhaw), and more. Click on individual photos for IDs.