Spring is here!

Photos Arne Ader
Translation Liis

Maple flowering

 

Maple; Norway maple        Harilik vaher         Acer platanoides

 

The plant world shows the beginning of spring. The flowering of maples announces the end of early spring. In southern Estonia the maples started flowering last week, in Mulgimaa on Saturday and with the warm days the flowering reached the northern coast.

So then – with the flowering of maples our proper phenological spring started.

A maple in full flower is truly a sight worth seeing. On warm sunny spring days we hear the susurration of bees from the trees. The bees gather nectar as well as the greenish pollen and from a big maple the bees in a strong bee colony can collect up to a pail of honey.

Close-up view of the flowers of a maple showing the receptacles glossy from nectar and the well developed stamens – all the visible flowers are male

 

Maples come into leaf after flowering or start developing leaves in the flowering period

Maple forests are seldom seen in Estonia, only in the western estonian islands (Kõinastu islet), some mainland marsh islets, also in the area between the North Estonian klint coast and the sea.

We see maples growing in mixed forests with other tree species: oak, elm, lime, occasionally birch or spruce. As young, it tolerates both shade and winter frosts but it may be damaged by strong night frosts precisely in the flowering period.

 

Maple seed sprouting

Maples begin to have seeds only when they are 25 years old. The sprouting power of the seeds is remarkable – nine seeds out of tem start growing. After the thaw of the snow the seeds that have spilled on to the ground start a massive sprouting.

 

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Maple flowering

 

 

Estonian original publihshed 15.05.2017